Thousands of refugees in DR of Congo cut off from aid, UNHCR warns
21 July -- The United Nations refugee agency said today that its staff in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had received "alarming" reports of large numbers of refugees gathered along the banks of the Ubangui River, in an area cut off from humanitarian assistance due to insecurity.
A spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the refugees in Njoundou, north of the confluence of the Ubangui and Congo Rivers, had sent word by letter to the agency's base in Koukolela that they numbered over 20,000 at the site. The last UNHCR mission to Njoundou on 8 July had counted approximately 5,200 people and performed medical tests which later confirmed the presence of shigella -- a cholera-like disease -- among the refugees.
Although this latest information of thousands more arrivals could not be immediately confirmed, spokesman Ron Redmond said crew members on a river barge that passed Njoundou reported that the village appeared to be jammed with recently arrived Congolese and that many appeared to be without shelter.
According to UNHCR, authorities from the Republic of Congo (RoC) are advising against any movement on the river north of Liranga. "This is a warning we take seriously," Mr. Redmond said, pointing out that a team of UNHCR and non-governmental organization staff had been intercepted by DRC troops on the river in May and detained for several days.
The fighting and presence of DRC military vessels in the region have brought traffic along the busy river to a virtual standstill. UNHCR has appealed urgently to the authorities of both countries to safeguard humanitarian operations and facilitate the immediate travel of a barge carrying tons of desperately needed relief supplies.
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