The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that the number of displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a record high of 6.9 million.
This latest increase comes following renewed conflict between Tutsi-led M23 rebels and militias loyal to the government in the eastern province of North Kivu in October.
It said it was intensifying its efforts to address the “complex and persistent crisis” across the country with most of those who fled their homes desperately needing help to meet their basic needs.
As the security situation continues to deteriorate, movements become more frequent and humanitarian needs soar.
Nearly 200,000 people have fled their homes since the resumption of the fighting in the Rutshuru and Masisi regions, north of Goma, according to the UN humanitarian agency Ocha.
The IOM said it urgently needs to deliver help to those most in need, describing the situation in the DRC as one of the largest internal displacement and humanitarian crises in the world.
“For decades, the Congolese people have been weathering successive storms of crisis”, said Fabien Sambussy, head of the IOM mission in the country.
high of 6.9 million.
Source: Africanews
