Congo Nirago – The last thing Parsika Bagrimana remembered before her son died was their hunger cry. But the 25-year-old mother has nothing to support them.
"Mom, I need something to eat. Can you give me food? They beg her. Daniel, 2, and Bonanet, 5, died a few weeks after escaping violence in the 3.23 movement insurgents and government forces in the eastern village of Congo.
Bagerimana worried that her two remaining children might be the next. "Hunger is killing," she said, sitting in a narrow room where she now has with other numbers. Ten displaced persons share.
Hunger is soaring in parts of the Congo war-torn North Kivu province, according to aid workers, civilians and health workers, with nearly 260,000 people facing extremes in Niragongo and Ruchulu districts, according to a draft internal assessment of the aid group seen by AP . Food insecurity on the side. The
report said that Niragongo is the highest hunger rate in the province, and the fighting concentration of Ruchulu is also "still worrying."
According to the draft food security report not published by the Associated Press, Congo is the world's first country in need of food aid. At least 26 million people — more than a quarter of the population — face severe food insecurity, largely due to violence. The situation has also been made worse by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian war.
This year, due to lack of funds and security considerations for restricting access, only 10% of the aid groups received all recommended food aid. Humanitarians warn that millions could face severe hunger if the fight continues. Marc, head of the Congo Food Security Coordinator, a group of international aid agencies focusing on food security strategies and interventions, "The situation is already serious, and the conflict has only added a layer to make everything worse," Sekpon said. "
" he said: "Most people in these areas either grow what they eat or get food from the market." "The rise in food prices in the province and their reduced access to agricultural production seriously endanger their ability to obtain food. In September, when traveling to three towns in Rutshuru and Nyiragongo, which are nearly 200,000 people displaced, people told the Associated Press how violence forced them to leave the farm, rotting the food they had recently harvested.
civilians say they have no land to farm and they don’t make enough money in the city to buy food. Florence Biyoyiki, vice chairman of a temporary displacement site, said 450 of the nearly 3,000 displaced families in Nyiragongo. Health staff at major hospitals in Nyiragongo said that from April to July, the number of severely malnutrition children almost tripled, or 17 to 49 people. Clinic nurse Marc Lukando said a 2-year-old boy died of malnutrition in July.
He said nothing in the hospital could feed malnutrition children. He said that when it was able to provide nutritional supplements for families, parents sometimes sold it and used the money to feed the entire family instead of giving it to their children.
Although the 3 23 movement insurgents were largely dormant for nearly a decade, they resurfaced, demonstrating an increase in firepower and occupying large swathes of territory and were being employed by human rights groups and societies District accused of killing civilians. A man living under M23 who did not want to be named for fear of his safety, told the Associated Press that the group forced residents to pay $5 in taxes every time they wanted to enter their fields. He said the "3.23" mobile fighters recently told villagers that they needed to bring these bean bags or be evicted.
Still, some people are very eager for food and risk their lives to return to towns under rebel control.
Chantale after her husband was killed by a bomb in their compound Dusabe escaped her village in June.Despite the risks, she came back a few days later, but was too scared to go back.
"I know M23 is there, but the kids are hungry," Dusabe said, who managed to get some bananas back.
"3·23" movement political spokesman Lawrence Kanuka said in a written statement to the Associated Press that people are allowed to act freely and allegations of human rights violations are groundless. Luc Albert Bakole, territory manager of Rutshuru, said the government is planning a counterattack to regain about 30% of the territory occupied by M23.
He said we must do our best to regain all territory under the control of the enemy so that our people can go home and return to normal life.
But people are starving as the government strives to regain their foothold. Doctors Without Borders said that between January and July this year, the number of children admitted to severe malnutrition in Luchulu Town Hospital increased by 50% compared with the same period last year.
8 In August, Rahabu Maombi brought her malnourished daughter to Rutshuru Hospital after her 22-year-old mother fled the battle in a nearby village. She said that since the displaced, the family has only eaten once a day.
Maombi held her 18-month-old child and fed it with a tube in her nose. She said she couldn't help but worry that her daughter might die.
She said, "If there was no war, my children would not be in this situation." "This war has destroyed many things in our lives."
