Internally displaced persons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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A camp for internally displaced people at Kitchanga in 2013.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has one of the largest populations of internally displaced persons in the world.[1] The International Organization for Migration estimates that in the first half of 2023, conflict in the eastern DRC displaced nearly a million additional people, which along with existing displaced population, brought the total number of internally displaced people in the country to an estimated 6.1 million.[2] The issue has been ongoing for many years, with millions of displaced persons forced from their homes, often repeatedly.[3] The term internally displaced persons (IDPs) refers to movements of people within the DRC, which are a distinct population from refugees who fled to the DRC from other countries, such as the 1.2 million Rwandan refugees who arrived during the Great Lakes refugee crisis in 1994.[4]

Despite a large population of IDPs, humanitarian aid has been very limited, with outbreaks of cholera and measles on top of the issues with violence.[5] The Norwegian Refugee Council has characterized the situation in the DRC as the world's most neglected displacement crisis.[6] The regional coordinator of Médecins Sans Frontières has said the humanitarian response to the conflict is far short of the scale of the problem.[7]

Displaced persons often flee to temporary camps. Residents of such camps can be subject to physical violence, such as repeated deadly attacks against internally displaced people in Ituri Province by the armed group CODECO, such as the Plaine Savo massacre.[8][9] Residents of displacement camps are subject to an elevated risk of sexual violence, as noted by Congolese gynecologist Denis Mukwege.[10][11]

From July 2016 to March 2017, nearly half a million were displaced by the Batwa–Luba clashes in Tanganyika Province.[12]

In 2017, violence related to the Kamwina Nsapu rebellion displaced 1.4 million people in the Kasaï region in central DRC.[13][14]

In North Kivu province, from 2014 to 2016, the governor of the province made efforts to close the IDP camps, surmising that the camps were hotbeds for rebel activity and were connected to a lack of local oversight of the NGOs. This brought the number of IDP camps in the province to 47, down from 60.[15] As of 2023, the population of the North Kivu camps had increased again, with some 600,000 people fleeing violence from the M23 offensive and several camps around the city of Goma. The Bulengo camp near Goma alone hosts over 120,000 people.[16]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Number of internally displaced people hit record in 2022 – DW – 05/11/2023". dw.com. 2023-05-11. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  2. ^ AFP (2023-06-15). "A million people displaced in DRC so far this year". Le Monde.fr. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  3. ^ "Now What? The International Response to Internal Displacement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". Brookings. 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  4. ^ Murison, Jude (2002). "The Politics of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in the Congo War". The African Stakes of the Congo War. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US. p. 225–237. doi:10.1057/9781403982445_13. ISBN 978-1-349-38802-8.
  5. ^ Ndebele, Lenin (2023-06-26). "Number of internally displaced people in DRC doubles to more than 6 million – UN". News24. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  6. ^ Jessica Wanless (2022-06-01). "DR Congo: The world's most neglected displacement crisis". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  7. ^ Ahmed, Kaamil (2023-03-14). "'Trail of war crimes' left by DRC rebel group as recent attacks leave 300,000 displaced". the Guardian. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  8. ^ Yeager-Malkin, Rebekah (2023-06-12). "Militia attacks DRC internally displaced persons camp, killing dozens". JURIST. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  9. ^ "Dozens killed in attack on DR Congo camp for displaced – DW – 06/13/2023". dw.com. 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  10. ^ "Sexual and Gender-based Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Opportunities for Progress as M23 Disarms?". Brookings. 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  11. ^ Davies, Lizzy (2022-12-16). "Nobel prize winner criticises western 'neglect' and urges action over DRC violence". the Guardian. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  12. ^ "Displaced and desperate: IDPs flee violence in DRC". Al Jazeera. 2017-08-27. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  13. ^ Powell, Anita (2017-11-02). "UN Sounds Alarm on Humanitarian Crisis in Congo's Kasai". VOA. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  14. ^ "DR Congo Kasai violence displaces 850,000 children". BBC News. 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  15. ^ Berger, Miriam (2016-12-12). "Congolese IDPs in North Kivu face Bulengo camp closure". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
  16. ^ Arlette Bashizi (2023-03-13). "'I just want to return home': Displaced Congolese on the M23 conflict and the need for peace". The New Humanitarian. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
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