North Kivu: Worrying increase in cholera cases among displaced communities in IDP sites near Goma.

Since the end of October, tens of thousands of people fleeing fighting with the M23 group have joined those already settled for months in sites for displaced people in Nyiragongo territory, a few kilometres north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu. The humanitarian situation there is worsening as, next to the host communities, more than 177,000 people are now trapped in dire conditions, at the mercy of bad weather and epidemics.

Since July, we have been warning about the health risks, including epidemics, for displaced communities in Nyiragongo territory. New, massive displacements of people since the end of October have exacerbated an already extremely precarious situation. In just 10 days, the number of people suspected of having cholera has increased alarmingly in Nyiragongo territory. Between 26 November and 7 December, 256 patients were admitted to the cholera treatment centre set up by MSF teams in Munigi; a third of patients were children under five.

Despite our repeated calls, the current humanitarian response is far from adequate. That is just not understandable, as these people are only a few kilometres from Goma, home to many humanitarian organisations. An average of 250 free consultations have been provided daily since early November at the Kanyaruchinya health centre. An advanced health post has been set up at the informal site called Main de Dieu in Munigi. MSF teams are also continuing to provide water at six sites in Kanyaruchinya and Munigi, have installed hand-washing points, and are carrying out numerous awareness-raising activities.