Thousands Flee Fighting in Eastern Congo, Goma Might Fall

by Michael Bear

category: Humanitarian Relief

Published October 27, 2008 @ 10:48PM PT

[Civilians flee the fighting in eastern Congo - raw footage from the AP]

And then things fell apart.  After weeks of fighting in eastern Congo, rebel forces under Laurent Nkunda have pushed aside the Congolese Army and are now on the outskirts of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province.  UN peacekeepers are desperately trying to keep Nkunda from taking Goma, supporting the Congolese Army with gunships and armored units.

The video above shows civilians fleeing the fighting.

As many as 250,000 people have fled their homes since August.  Mobs of angry civilians are now attacking UN offices in Goma, infuriated that the UN hasn't been able to protect them.

Reporter Michael Kavanaugh spoke on the phone to NPR from the main UN compound in Goma:

"We're stuck inside and its possible that we'll have to spend the night.  We're just now hearing small arms fire.  It's been going on for about an hour. It seems that the front line is moving closer and closer to Goma. Earlier today the rebels were about twelve miles from here.

You can see displaced people coming down the streets in waves.  All day long there have been protestors outside throwing rocks and lighting tires on fire.  No one has really been able to leave throughout I guess, my understanding now is throughout the entire city of Goma."

(To hear an audio clip of Kavanaugh's report, click here.)

Refugees International's blog world:bridge also has an excellent report on civilians who are now seeking refuge in makeshift camps:

"Many had lived in the camp since August, while others had arrived as recently as two weeks ago. Some of those who had arrived in August received plastic sheeting for shelter, but more recent arrivals had not yet received any support. Infrastructure continues to be poor; there is just one tap of fresh water for some 3,000 families, and virtually no latrines...They are afraid to return to their homes now, so they cannot cultivate their fields for food, and are relying on humanitarian agencies to provide them with the basic necessities."

To make matters worse, humanitarian agencies are finding it more and more difficult to reach areas in need.  Charles Vincent of the World Food Program has reported that many of the dispaced are malnourished, and some are dying of hunger.

According to Vincent: "Blockages among many of the roads with random taxation by militia groups ... have increased in the last couple of months."

For more information, please see the most recent post by my co-blogger Michelle, including her take on the rather sudden resignation of the commander of UN peacekeeping forces in the DRC.