Attacks in DR Congo hamper anti-pandemic efforts: UN

ANKARA (AA) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Friday warned that ongoing armed attacks in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could cause “terrible consequences” as it pushes for more displacement amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Recent attacks in North Kivu and Ituri provinces are reported to have displaced more than 35,000 people in recent weeks including some 25,000 in villages south of Lubero territory,” the UNHCR said.

“In the meantime, security has deteriorated in the Djugu Territory in Ituri province, where a growing number of attacks by unknown assailants have displaced over 12,000 persons so far this month,” it added.

“These attacks hamper humanitarian access, hinder assistance to desperate displaced people, and disrupt vital coordination on COVID-19 prevention and sensitization.

“Many areas and sites hosting displaced people are also overcrowded, making it difficult to implement physical and social distancing," the statement concluded.

More than 5 million people have been internally displaced in the country due to violence, according to the UN.

Apart from that, the armed conflicts-torn nation hosts more than half a million refugees, who have fled persecution and unrest in the neighboring countries.