The United Nations refugee agency says it is ready to move at least
30,000 displaced people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to
safer locations.
In a statement Tuesday, the agency says the
displaced civilians are in camps around Kibati, an area north of Goma,
the capital of North Kivu province.
The camps are near the
frontlines where rebels have been battling government troops and
pro-government militias. A spokesman says residents live in fear of
attacks and looting by soldiers in the conflict.
The U.N. says
the first transfers will take the sick, the elderly and the young to
four other camps on Goma's western outskirts.
Meanwhile, the U.N. World Food Program says food has been delivered to about 400,000 displaced people in the eastern DRC.
The
WFP says its workers and the International Red Cross have distributed
food in camps around Goma, the Masisi region controlled by rebel leader
Laurent Nkunda, and open areas from which the rebels pulled back last
week.
Nkunda's men and government forces have clashed repeatedly
since late August, after the collapse of a peace deal. The fighting
has displaced an estimated 250,000 people.
Results of a survey
released Monday found that the fighting has led to many people being
separated from their families. Save the Children Emergency officer
George Graham said that two-thirds of those surveyed out of nearly 300
people polled claimed they had lost contact with at least one family
member.
