Hellish conditions threaten families in Rhoe camp
UNICEF is working with partners to support displaced families in a remote camp in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
ITURI, Democratic Republic of the Congo – When displaced families fled to Rhoe, in the northeast of Democratic Republic of the Congo, they were hoping to find shelter, safety and protection. Instead, they’ve been braving hellish conditions in a remote hilltop camp.
The rapid growth of Rhoe camp, which housed as many as 75,000 people by December 2021, follows attacks on nearby camps by armed groups that have forced thousands of already displaced people to seek sanctuary at the overcrowded site.
Humanitarian access by land isn’t possible because aid workers have been denied access or shot at by these armed groups on several occasions. But with families facing serious food, sanitation, accommodation and protection issues, UNICEF is distributing tarpaulins and tents, water treatment tablets, and kits including blankets, buckets, kitchenware and soap.
The influx of desperate families has severely stretched Rhoe camp, which is situated on uneven and often sloping land. Many of those arriving at the camp don’t have shelter or food and have had to sleep in the open.
“We have fled many times and seen our homes burned and children raped,” says one resident of Rhoe camp. “My parents, my brothers, my sisters and six of my children have all been beheaded or shot.”
With water in perilously short supply, some children venture down the hillside with jerry cans to collect drinking water. Such journeys can put children at risk of violence and leave them vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
Access to locally-grown food in the camp is almost non-existent because inhabitants are likely to be attacked by militants if they venture too far outside in search of food.
It’s impossible to verify the exact number of violations committed against children, including kidnappings, because of persistent insecurity and lack of access to the Rhoe area. However, there have been dozens of reports of children being raped, injured or killed in the area.
Through child protection implementing partner AJEDEC (Youth Action for the Environment and Community Development), UNICEF has continued to provide desperately needed psychosocial support to vulnerable children. Partners are provided with training around the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, an approach that is integral to implementation of UNICEF’s response. UNICEF also manages child-friendly spaces in the Rhoe camp.
The cramped, unsanitary conditions, lack of clean water and food shortages also mean there are significant concerns over the nutritional status of children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
An alarming number of people have died recently in the camps because of respiratory illnesses, diarrhoea and malaria. Rhoe camp has a health centre, but there are few beds and mothers with children mostly gather on the floor. UNICEF is therefore supporting primary and reproductive health through a rapid response programme that includes providing temporary care spaces and equipment. By December 31, the programme had conducted more than 1,150 medical visits.
Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing one of the most complex, protracted and acute humanitarian crises in the world. Persistent violence, inter-communal tensions, acute malnutrition and major epidemic outbreaks are compounding chronic poverty and systemic weaknesses, affecting the lives and well-being of children and their families. Read more about the situation in the country and how UNICEF is responding here.
