18 Sep 2012

GENEVA / DRC HUMAN RIGHTS

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said today (18 September) that violations of human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo were rampant and that funds were urgently needed to help almost half a million people who have been forced to flee their homes since April, as well as for 60,000 refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries. CH UNTV

Posted at: September 18, 2012 12:09 pm

Duration: 01:54

Available in: SD

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STORY: GENEVA / DRC HUMAN RIGHTS
TRT: 1.54
SOURCE: CH UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 18 SEPTEMBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:

FILE – 2011, PALAIS DES NATIONS, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1.Wide shot, exterior Palais des Nations

18 SEPTEMBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
"We are launching a supplementary appeal today for around USD 40 million. This to help almost half a million forcibly displaced Congolese civilians in the east of their country and also in neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda where large numbers have recently fled."
3.Cutaway, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
"The situation remains volatile and we have to expect that there will be further displacement this year."
5.Cutaway, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
"The needs and challenges are enormous and the insecurity and the remoteness of the IDP sites are major constraints to aid-delivery and protection monitoring particularly inside the country."
7.Cutaway, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
"We are very alarmed about the large number of human rights violations in North and South Kivu, where more than 15,000 what we call "protection incidents", incidents that have been reported to us which include murder, rape and forced recruitment This is just since April and we expect that that number is probably much higher as in the cases of sexual violence, for example- very many people, for example, in this culture do not come forward. So we believe these violations are rampant and it's a very very difficult situation."
9.Cutaway, journalists

STORYLINE:

The upsurge of violence in recent months includes murder, rape and forced recruitment of children, the Refugee Agency spokesperson said, and if this violence continues, the numbers of displaced could rise to 760,000 in coming months

UNHCR is appealing for USD 40 million to assist these people

UNHCR has 31 camps within the country, with large numbers of IDPs who need both aid and protection; in Rwanda, scarcity of land is hampering HCR's relief efforts and funds are needed to make land useable for the increasing numbers; and in Uganda, funds are needed to provide basic infrastructure and services to the refugees, which are lacking due to the remoteness of the border area where the camps are located.

Fleming said that 15,000 incidents such as rape and murder had been reported since April, but the Agency believe the real figure to be much higher as many incidents, particularly of sexual violence, go unreported.

The operation in DRC is one of the Agency's largest with more than 2 million people in need of assistance within the country