Fire in Congo displaced persons camp leaves dozens of families homeless

Lina PortmanJune 7, 2024

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DAKAR, Senegal — A fire in a camp for displaced people in eastern Congo destroyed around 50 makeshift tents Wednesday afternoon, leaving dozens of families homeless, according to the United Nations. A UN spokesperson said the fire was believed to have started during cooking at a camp.

The Muganga displaced persons camp, near the provincial capital Goma, had already been hit by bomb attacks in early May, which killed at least 18 people and injured 32 others, he said. It was not clear what type of explosives were used in the attacks. Most of the victims were women and children.

“While I was trying to empty the house of my valuables, I was unable to save my most precious items: my tokens to receive various humanitarian aid,” Anne Marie Nikuze, 60, a displaced person living in the camp with his children and grandchildren. told the Associated Press. “What little we had also caught fire,” she said.

“We escaped the recent bombings and now the fire has hit us. » Furaha Mulema Mariam, 42, mother of four, said. “The only chance is that it happened during the day, if it had been at night we would all be dead.”

The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo has produced one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with more than 100 armed groups fighting in the region, most over land and control of mines containing valuable minerals. . Some are fighting to try to protect their communities. Many groups are accused of committing massacres, rapes and other human rights violations.

The violence has displaced around 7 million people, including thousands living in temporary camps like the one attacked last month. Many more are beyond the reach of help.