West and Central Africa: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (25 – 31 May 2021)
From 26 to 27 May, 20,000 people fled their homes in Ndim and Koui, in Ouham-Pendé prefecture, seeking refuge in a temporary shelter in Ndim, in Bocaranga and Cameroun following clashes between government forces and armed groups . On the next day, on 28 May, some 2,700 people fled Bozoum and found refuge in nearby bushes and in Dankobira, in Nana-Mambere prefecture, following similar armed clashes. Humanitarian partners are planning an assessment of needs in the area as soon as the security situation improves.
NIGERIA
ARMED GROUPS IMPEDE HUMANITARIAN ACCESS IN DAMBOA
Since 20 May, non-state armed group (NSAG) operatives have ramped up presence in Damboa LGA, patrolling communities and farming areas where humanitarian partners either have projects or are planning agricultural support programmes ahead of the upcoming rainy season. NSAG illegal vehicle checkpoints (IVCPs) have continued to target civilian commuters along the Damboa-Biu road, the main supply route also used by aid agencies to transport relief items to the LGA, which hosts more than 160,000 civilians and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who rely heavily on humanitarian assistance and services. The unfolding situation could worsen humanitarian access in Damboa LGA, especially during the upcoming rainy season when movement of cargos becomes more difficult due to flooding along major roads.
DR CONGO
AT LEAST 55 IDPs KILLED IN THE NORTH-EAST
On 31 May, armed men targeted camps hosting internally displaced persons near the towns of Boga in Irumu territory, Ituri Province, and Tchabi, in North Kivu Province, leaving at least 55 civilians dead and many others injured. Several people were also abducted, and property looted. The UN Secretary general strongly condemned the attack and called on the Congolese authorities to investigate these incidents and bring those responsible to justice. This comes after an attack on the facility of a humanitarian organization in Djugu territory, Ituri province, on 28 May. This escalation of violence could lead to the suspension of humanitarian activities in the province, which currently hosts 2.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, representing 50% of its population.
416,000 PEOPLE ESTIMATED TO BE DISPLACED BY ERUPTION
According to the latest IOM displacement tracking matrix, an estimated 415,700 people, half of them minors, have been displaced by the 22 May Nyiragongo volcanic eruption. The humanitarian community continues to mobilise to assist the displaced who are spread across more than 10 areas in the country and across the border in Rwanda. WFP and partners have delivered food to some 43,000 displaced people in Sake, Minova and Rutshuru, towns close to Goma that have seen an influx of people fleeing their homes. Thousands of displaced people remain scattered across the region, amid warnings of further eruptions. Those who have had to flee their homes have been receiving 10-day rations of flour, pulses, oil and salt. Some 1,361 unaccompanied children have also been identified, of which 858 have been reunited with their families.
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs