23 Nov 2012

UN / DR CONGO

Humanitarian agencies are still unable to reach tens of thousands of displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province as fighting continues around the city of Goma. Meanwhile, a group of Congolese women has spent the last days protesting against the M23 outside MONUSCO headquarters in Kinshasa. CH UNTV / MONUSCO

Posted at: November 23, 2012 2:46 pm

Duration: 02:54

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / DR CONGO
TRT: 2.54
SOURCE: CH UNTV / MONUSCO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 NOVEMBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / 21 NOVEMBER, KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

SHOTLIST:

FILE – CH UNTV - PALAIS DES NATIONS, GENEBVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, exterior Palais de Nations

CH UNTV - 23 NOVEMBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Wide shot, podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Adrian Edwards, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
"On Goma, with recent fighting in and around the city UNHCR is extremely concerned about the situation of displaced people in Democratic Republic of the Congo's North Kivu province, especially children and other vulnerable groups.  Normally we work in 31 displaced camps in North Kivu hosting just over 108,000 people.  The fighting has meant that we and our partners have not been able to access most of these areas.  Only Mugunga III just outside Goma, can be currently visited."
4. Cutaway, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Adrian Edwards, Spokesperson, UNHCR:
"Our protection monitors are reporting many incidents of violence against civilians.  In Goma there have been reports of 60 assaults on civilians to our partners.  Our partners are telling us eight people have been killed and houses and shops have been looted."
6. Cutaway, journalists  
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Marixie Mercado, Spokesperson, UNICEF:
"M23 has apparently grown significantly in numbers and there are over the past few days and there are other groups operating in the area which raises the likelihood of recruitment of children particularly those children who've already been recruited and separated from armed groups."
8. Cutaway, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Marixie Mercado, Spokesperson, UNICEF:
"Many of the displaced come form other camps or villages where there was previously cholera.  Before the crisis started there were already 27000 cases of cholera reported in the country. Running water in Goma has just been restored. It had been shut off for over a week and there are huge numbers of children collecting water from Lake Kivu which obviously raises the risk of disease spreading."
9. Cutaway, journalists
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
"In and around Goma there's alleged killings of four civilians including a pregnant woman and a baby and wounding of at least 50 other civilians during armed clashes between the FARDC and M23. That was between the 18th and 20th November."
11. Cutaway, journalists
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
"In Sake, which is about 20km west of Goma, the alleged killing of at least five women, and the wounding of at least 17 civilians during fighting between the two groups, M23 and the government forces."
13. Wide shot, press room

MONUSCO - 21 NOVEMBER, KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

14. Wide shot, women protest marching towards the MONUSCO HQ
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Woman, demonstrator:
"We want concrete actions on the ground. We want the M23, the Rwandan troops, and the Ugandan troops to leave Goma, and for the international community to (inaudible) and we want the United Nations to respect Chapter 7."
16. Med shot, women protesting

STORYLINE:

Humanitarian agencies are still unable to reach tens of thousands of displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s North Kivu province as fighting continues around the city of Goma.

Most aid agencies operating in eastern DRC have their operations based in the eastern town of Goma.

Adrian Edwards, Spokesperson for the United Nation's Refugee Agency, UNHCR, told journalists at a briefing in Geneva today (23 November) that "normally we work in 31 displaced camps in North Kivu hosting just over 108,000 people.  The fighting has meant that we and our partners have not been able to access most of these areas".

The United Nations (UN) estimates that there are over 1.6 million internally displaced persons in eastern DRC as a result of fighting between the national army and rebel groups in the region.

The UN Children's fund, UNICEF, fears there could be a spike in cholera cases as those displaced may not have access to sanitation and clean water services.

Speaking at the same briefing, UNICEF's spokerperson, Marixie Mercado said that, "many of the displaced come form other camps or villages where there was previously cholera.  There are huge numbers of children collecting water from Lake Kivu which obviously raises the risk of disease spreading".

Mercado also warned of the dangers of children being recruited by armed groups,  "M23 has apparently grown significantly in numbers and there are over the past few days and there are other groups operating in the area which raises the likelihood of recruitment of children, particularly those children who've already been recruited and separated from armed groups."

The spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Rupert Colville said that between the November 18th and 20th in and around Goma there were four civilians allegedly killed, including a pregnant woman and a baby and "at least 50 other civilians" were wounded during armed clashes between the Congolese national army (FARDC) and the M23 rebel group.

Colville also said that in Sake, about 20km west of Goma, at least five women had allegedly been killed and at least 17 civilians wounded "during fighting between the two groups, M23 and the Government forces".

Meanwhile in the DRC's capital Kinshasa, a group of Congolese women are continuing their protest outside the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, known as MONUSCO.

According to one woman speaking on Wednesday (21 November), they are calling for "the M23, the Rwandan troops, and the Ugandan troops" to leave Goma, and are asking for MONUSCO's mandate to be changed so it can use its powers under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter to remove the rebels from Goma.

The women say they will only leave when they get satisfaction.