VZCZCXRO6078
OO RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1244/01 3060614
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020614Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7070
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 5111
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2122
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0558
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 001244 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USAID/W 
USAID/DCHA FOR MHESS, GGOTTLIEB 
DCHA/OFDA FOR KLUU, ACONVERY, KCHANNELL, MSHIRLEY 
DCHA/FFP FOR TANDERSON, NCOX, TMCRAE 
DCHA/OTI FOR RJENKINS, KHUBER 
AFR FOR BDUNFORD, CTHOMPSON 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/OFDA/ECARO JMYER, ADWYER 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/FFP DSUTHER 
GENEVA FOR NYKYLOH 
NSC FOR PMARCHAM 
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER 
NEW YORK FOR TMALY 
USMISSION UN ROME FOR RNEWBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL PHUM CG
SUBJECT: NORTH KIVU HUMANITARIAN UPDATE 
 
REF:  A. KINSHASA 01217 B. KINSHASA 01188 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  Since mid-October, a lull in major combat across most of North 
Kivu Province has afforded relief organizations temporary access to 
conflict-affected areas to assess humanitarian conditions and 
deliver critical food and emergency relief supplies for displaced 
and vulnerable populations.  However, ongoing population movements, 
a fluid security environment, and difficult or unreliable access 
throughout much of Masisi and Rutshuru Territories remain 
significant challenges for emergency relief efforts for the 351,490 
people displaced by fighting since late 2006.  In response, UN 
agencies are working to target priority locations and populations 
through coordinated convoys and assistance activities.  End 
summary. 
 
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SECURITY AND ACCESS 
------------------- 
 
¶2.  As of October 23, UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the 
Congo (MONUC) security officials have reported fewer recent clashes 
between Mai-Mai elements, Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda 
(FDLR), Congolese military (FARDC), and troops loyal to dissident 
General Nkunda .  Masisi Territory has remained relatively calm 
since October 15, when government officials extended the deadline 
for Nkunda's troops to join the military integration process 
("brassage") .  A confrontation between Mai-Mai and Nkunda groups in 
the Rumangabo and Bunagana area along the Uganda border on October 
20 interrupted a similar lull in Rutshuru Territory. 
 
¶3.  Despite the relative calm, MONUC staff are urging the 
humanitarian community to exercise continued caution and state that 
military offensives could begin at any point.  MONUC also continues 
to report heavy FARDC deployments to Walikale, Rutshuru, and Masisi 
territories. 
 
¶4.  Unreliable access remains the largest obstacle to humanitarian 
relief efforts in North Kivu.  Both the UN World Food Program (WFP) 
and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimate that up to 200,000 
displaced people are currently inaccessible.  Relief agencies 
routinely face small-scale clashes, UN security constraints, and 
limited MONUC escorts for travel beyond the Goma-Rutshuru road.  In 
addition, heavy rains regularly damage the poor roads and delay 
convoys carrying relief supplies.  Non-governmental organizations 
(NGOs) report reluctance to travel with MONUC escorts following 
recent accusations that MONUC is either supporting Nkunda's troops 
or fighting alongside Congolese military forces. 
 
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POPULATION MOVEMENTS 
-------------------- 
 
¶5.  Humanitarian staff report ongoing population movements as some 
communities return home, residents flee sporadic clashes as well as 
the recent fighting in the Bunagana area, and others anticipate 
renewed military activity.  As of October 15, the UN Office for the 
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that fighting 
has displaced 351,490 people from Masisi and Rutshuru territories 
since late 2006, of which 143,130 since early September.  In 
addition, relief agencies have received unconfirmed reports of a 
further 151,805 people uprooted by insecurity.  Based on an estimate 
of 1 million people in Masisi and Rutshuru territories, OCHA claims 
that approximately one-third of residents are currently displaced . 
 
 
¶6.  UNICEF reports that host communities are reaching their capacity 
to absorb and provide support to displaced persons.  While displaced 
 
KINSHASA 00001244  002 OF 003 
 
 
populations have generally settled with host families during 
previous episodes of insecurity, approximately 40 percent of the 
current IDPs are living in schools, churches, and at group 
settlement sites. 
 
¶7.  The largest concentrations of displaced persons include 
approximately 56,920 in the Goma area, 38,520 near Rutshuru town, 
and 18,495 in Kisharo, Rutshuru Territory.  Preliminary reports 
indicate possible large-scale displacements from Bunagana, Jomba, 
Rumangabo, and Rugari towns near the Uganda border following 
fighting on October 20.  Relief agencies planned to conduct 
humanitarian assessments of the area and verify the reported 
population movements. 
 
¶8.  The humanitarian community in Goma indicates that the fluid 
security environment and resulting population movements, both away 
from and back to areas of origin, complicate efforts to accurately 
track the size and priority needs of this vulnerable group.  In 
addition to the above estimates, relief agencies have received 
reports of renewed returns between Kiwanja and Nyamilima, and up to 
8,500 families previously displaced near Mweso arriving in the 
Nyanzale area in Rutshuru Territory. 
 
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PRIORITY NEEDS 
-------------- 
 
¶9.  WFP continues to express concern over high malnutrition rates 
among the conflict-affected population of North Kivu, particularly 
in Rutshuru Territory (Ref A).  The protracted nature of this 
conflict has interrupted income-generating activities, disrupted 
agricultural production, and negatively impacted food security for 
displaced populations and their host communities throughout Masisi 
and Rutshuru territories. 
 
¶10.  In addition, the cycles of alternating calm and conflict have 
led to nearly continuous episodes of displacement across these 
territories, often affecting the same communities multiple times and 
leading to prolonged displacement of others.  The steadily growing 
displaced population requires continued relief efforts to provide 
access to clean water, health services, sanitation facilities, and 
basic household supplies such as blankets, plastic sheeting, cooking 
utensils, and soap. 
 
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RESPONSE EFFORTS 
---------------- 
 
¶11.  Despite the difficult operating environment characterized by 
unpredictable security and difficult or unreliable access, UN 
agencies and relief organizations are engaged in ongoing emergency 
response activities for the large conflict-affected population of 
southern North Kivu.  USAID-funded UNICEF has distributed emergency 
relief supplies to an estimated 400,000 people, and provided water 
and sanitation services for approximately 350,000 since late 2006. 
Between January 1 and October 21, WFP provided 11,453 metric tons of 
emergency food assistance to 627,170 in North Kivu, also with 
support from USAID. 
 
¶12.  In response to growing malnutrition concerns, WFP and UNICEF 
are coordinating to expand supplementary and therapeutic feeding 
programs, particularly in Birambizo, Mweso, and Rwanguba health 
zones of Rutshuru Territory.  The approachtargets the most 
vulnerable persons by providingemergency food rations to the 
families of malnourshed children and pregnant or lactating mothers,and is equally available to displaced and residentpopulations. 
UNICEF currently supports 118 such enters across Masisi and 
Rutshuru.  NGOs includig the International Rescue Committee, 
Internationl Medical Corps (IMC), and Medecins sans Fronteres are 
also engaged in supplementary feeding programs in Rwanguba, 
Karisimbi, and Masisi health zones. 
 
KINSHASA 00001244  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶13.  USAID's Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) 
currently funds IMC to provide primary health care and referral 
services in the larger Goma area, and is in discussion with two 
additional partners to provide similar health services in Rutshuru 
Territory.  Between September 8 and October 21, IMC consulted 13,594 
patients in the immediate Goma area and admitted 1,627 malnourished 
children for supplementary feeding programs.  OFDA also supports 
UNICEF's rapid response mechanism, which holds primary 
responsibility for monitoring humanitarian conditions, identifying 
priority needs, and providing the initial round of relief assistance 
to communities throughout North Kivu. 
 
¶14.  Following the resurgence in fighting and resulting displacement 
in early September, OFDA committed nearly USD 3 million to purchase 
and transport relief commodities for 100,000 people to ensure an 
adequate stockpile of emergency relief supplies for further 
anticipated displacement.  OFDA staff coordinated the airlift of 319 
MT of commodities on 17 flights to Goma between September 28 and 
October 15.  UNICEF is currently transporting the first of these 
supplies to Nyanzale to benefit 1,329 displaced households. 
 
¶15.  OCHA continues to coordinate relief efforts throughout North 
Kivu, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR) manages camp coordination for the displaced population in 
the Goma area.  With guidance from OCHA, UNHCR is currently leading 
the effort to identify contingency sites for communities in transit 
between Goma-Masisi and Goma-Rutshuru, as well as exploring Kibumba, 
approximately 20 km north of Goma, for a site to host persons 
displaced from Rutshuru Territory. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶16.  OFDA staff note that earlier tension between UNHCR and both WFP 
and UNICEF appears to be diminishing, and WFP reports an improved 
working relationship and closer coordination with UNICEF (Ref B). 
While WFP and UNICEF continue to disagree with UNHCR over the 
presence of armed security at settlement sites, the dispute did not 
significantly hamper the latest WFP food distributions at the Goma 
sites. 
 
¶17.  Recent coordinated convoys of food and medical supplies are 
another positive indication of recent cooperation between various 
relief agencies.  Following the extended government deadline for 
dissident troops to join the brassage process, OCHA quickly 
facilitated a convoy to carry food and medical supplies provided by 
multiple UN agencies to critical priority areas frequently blocked 
to humanitarian actors owing to insecurity.  End comment. 
 
BROCK