Humanitarian situation in Goma remains dire despite ceasefire

JOHANNESBURG

Hospitals in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's largest city, Goma, are struggling to treat hundreds of wounded patients, with some reporting shortages of medicines days after the M23 rebel group announced a unilateral humanitarian ceasefire.

Stephan Goetghebuer, a program manager with the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), told Anadolu in an interview Wednesday that the city was calm, but the situation at hospitals remains very difficult.

The violence in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, erupted two weeks ago when the M23 launched a major offensive against government forces.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 900 people had been killed during the period, with nearly 3,000 injured.

Thousands have been displaced, many fleeing to neighboring Rwanda, including staff from international organizations such as the UN and the World Bank.

The M23 declared a ceasefire Monday after two weeks of clashes with the Congolese army for the control of Goma.

Difficult humanitarian situation

Goetghebuer said water had been partially restored to the city of roughly three million people, while there is a shortage of drugs at hospitals as the supply routes to Goma have not yet opened.

“Hospitals in Goma have received hundreds of wounded patients,’’ he said, adding that two hospitals whose surgical theaters are supported by MSF are running full time treating patients.

“The humanitarian situation is very difficult,’’ he said by phone.

Goetghebuer said there were still some wounded new patients who are coming to hospitals to seek treatment.

He said they had been in hiding and were afraid to go out, but there is some sense of normality in the city now and they are coming to seek treatment.

“There is also a situation of IDPs (internally displaced persons). There were several hundreds of thousands of people that were living in makeshift camps in Goma due to recent and past fighting. Some of those camps have been destroyed. Some of those people have been pushed away,’’ he said, adding some are living in hiding.

Heavy bombing

Goetghebuer said calm had returned to Goma despite an incident of heavy shelling heard on Wednesday far way.

“The city of Goma is calm, but this morning, we were hearing some detonations far way, but clearly it was some bombing. I would say in the direction of Bukavu. I can’t tell what was happening there. It’s too far from us to have an idea, but it was clearly shady,” he said.

Asked if there are still bodies scattered on the streets, he said not on the city streets but in some isolated parts of the city where they have not been collected.

On Wednesday, local media reported that M23 rebels had captured Nyabibwe, a city in South Kivu province, despite Monday’s ceasefire.

Local news website Actualite.cd reported that intense fighting erupted between the M23 and the Congolese army early Wednesday.

The M23 claims its fight is driven by grievances about alleged discrimination against Tutsi communities in the region.

Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya on Tuesday called the unilateral ceasefire declared by the rebels a “false communication.”

But “all we are waiting for is the withdrawal of the M23,” said Muyaya.

Kinshasa has vowed to reclaim the city of Goma.