United Nations Radio

United Nations relief agencies and their partners continue to struggle to help thousands of people displaced by fighting in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some areas in that region are inaccessible to because of fighting or due to heavy rains. Food and other non-food relief items, including plastic sheeting, blankets and kitchen sets are being sent to Goma the capital of North Kivu Province. The World Health Organization is particularly concerned about the increasing threat of cholera among those who have been displaced. WHO spokesman Paul Garwood says there has been an increase in the number of cases of cholera in the region.

Garwood: In particular, we've seen since the start of October at least 1,000 cases of cholera emerge, and we fear that this is in direct result to the increasing insecurity in the region. So this growing trend of the spread of cholera is of major concern to WHO and the international community. We've started buying locally in the region supplies for the treatment of cholera and distributing them amongst partners and to local health authorities.

NARRATOR: Paul Garwood says that supplies are being brought in to help control any further outbreaks of cholera.

Garwood: The major part of these supplies are diarrhoeal and other cholera-related medicines and supplies to help control any further outbreak. As yet we have seen no explosion in cholera cases but the risks are very high, particularly because there are inaccessible areas where we feel that services are needed and there are people who can't be reached as yet.

NARRATOR: According to Paul Garwood, the United Nations health agency needs more than two and a half million dollars for the next three months to control outbreaks of diseases in the Congo. Meanwhile, they are advocating that water be boiled, and food thoroughly cooked. Miranda Eels of the UN children's agency, UNICEF, says her agency is doing everything possible to control the cholera epidemic where it can.

Eels: Unfortunately there are still areas that are inaccessible, namely Rutshuru and more recently a place called Birambiza (sic). We are extremely concerned about this area because it's a place which already has very high rates of malnutrition. The conditions there were already bad before the fighting began.

NARRATOR: Now hundreds of thousands are at risk of malnutrition. UNICEF is making distribution of high energy biscuits a priority since the biscuits are the most effective way of warding off malnutrition in children. Miranda Eels says there is also a risk of measles and other diseases in that area.

Eels: In terms of measles we are still seeing cases being reported in areas of displacement but we are continuing our vaccination programmes for around 9,000 children in Kitoti (sic) area. Unfortunately on Friday we had to temporarily suspend measles vaccination in Kibati. But those will continue tomorrow as the place is now deemed safe to carry out those vaccination programmes. Malnutrition is also sure to rise in the conflict affected and displacement areas.

NARRATOR: The World Food Programme is providing food to help prevent malnutrition. In fact, the agency has just completed the distribution of rations to 135,000 displaced people in the area. WFP spokesperson Emilia Casella says that accessibility remains a serious concern for relief workers.

Casella: At the moment we're prioritizing distribution of high energy biscuits and we've done that together with UNICEF as well because we believe it's the most effective way to ward off malnutrition among the youngest children, but hundreds of thousands of people, are still at great risk because we're not able to reach them. So access at this point has continued to be, but is becoming even more a concern for us.

Producer: Derrick Mbatha

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