The period covered by this report has been especially difficult for people in Masisi territory (North Kivu), one of the main areas affected by fighting. The deteriorating security situation here has affected the work of humanitarian organizations, and some have suffered looting while moving around in the field.

Clashes between the armed groups have also affected other regions, especially the territories of Lubero (North Kivu) and Kalehe (South Kivu).

In April, the relative calm in certain areas of Rutshuru (North Kivu) encouraged a few thousand people to return to their villages. However, the months of displacement have severely weakened these people and many have lost all they own. As a result, they lack the resources to resume their traditional farming activities.

The security situation has had a serious effect on the economy everywhere in North Kivu. It has been difficult to obtain food, water, other basic necessities, medicines and health care.

The main security problem is frequent mistreatment of civilians by arms bearers, especially looting, rape and the forced recruitment of minors.

Between April and August 2008, the ICRC carried out a wide range of activities to protect and assist the victims of the conflict. These activities focused on areas from which other humanitarian agencies were virtually or completely absent.

The ICRC distributed aid to civilians who had fled the fighting, to families and communities who were hosting them and to people who had returned home but were finding it difficult to become self-supporting once again.

Since April, the ICRC and volunteers from the Red Cross Society of the DRC have distributed over 1,000 tonnes of food (cornflour, groundnut oil, beans and salt) to 50,000 civilians affected by the conflict in the territories of Masisi and Rutshuru (North Kivu).
The ICRC has also offered seed and agricultural implements to people returning to their villages, so they can start farming again.
Finally, over 12,500 displaced persons in North and South Kivu have received such essential items as buckets, clothing, soap and kitchen utensils.

Over 130,000 people benefited from ICRC water projects between April and August 2008. Systems installed in the villages of Njapanda and Bulambu (North Kivu) made it possible to tap into springs, some of them dozens of kilometres from the homes they are now serving. Emergency work in Kitchanga (Masisi territory, North Kivu) and in Minova (Kalehe territory, South Kivu) brought drinking water to over 18,000 displaced persons.

The ICRC continued to provide medicines and essential supplies to several hospitals and health centres located on the main displacement routes, such as Kayna, Nyamilima, Nyabiondo, Kitchanga and Matchumbi in North Kivu.

In parts of North and South Kivu affected by the conflict, the ICRC continued to support surgical and medical facilities, primarily those on the main routes taken by displaced persons. In total, the ICRC provided medicines and surgical supplies to 13 hospitals and 7 health centres. Those deliveries made over 1,000 operations possible, with most patients being people wounded in the fighting.

The above health facilities also received PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) kits to help protect rape victims against HIV.

The ICRC continued to support 37 centres in North and South Kivu that assist and counsel rape victims. Between April and August, the ICRC supported an awareness-raising campaign conducted by these centres aimed at 60,000 civilians.

Civilians

Numerous allegations of rape, looting and other forms of abuse reached ICRC delegates in April. The ICRC reacted by stepping up contacts with all belligerents, reminding them of their obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL).

Using statements from civilians who had suffered abuse at the hands of arms bearers, the ICRC made confidential bilateral representations to the parties to the conflict, while preserving the anonymity of the victims concerned.
In parallel, the ICRC held information sessions for over 1,200 arms bearers, both regular and irregular, with the aim of persuading the belligerents to take all measures necessary to limit the consequences of the conflict.

Over the same period, the ICRC and the DRC Red Cross collected and delivered over 25,000 Red Cross messages (brief messages containing family news) from and to North and South Kivu. These messages enabled families separated by the conflict to maintain or re-establish contact. Since April, 91 children (including 44 from armed groups) have been reunited with their families thanks to the ICRC’s Central Tracing Agency, operating with the support of the RDC Red Cross.


People deprived of their freedom

Between April and August 2008, ICRC delegates made 15 visits to 11 places of detention, during which they visited 1,900 detainees. The aims of these visits are to verify that detainees are being treated in accordance with international standards and to enable them to exchange news with their families.