Unmet Humanitarian Needs in Central Katanga, DRC
OCHA-IDD/ICVA Mission to DRC
15-18 March 2006

Trip Report

Manisha Thomas, ICVA Secretariat

Summary
The humanitarian response in parts of the province of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) - particularly in Dubié and Mitwaba, which were visited by the misison - is inadequate. There are great needs outside of these areas that have been documented by others; there are also other areas where there has not yet been an international presence to assess humanitarian needs. While a lack of appropriate logistical means and insecurity make access to large parts of the DRC difficult, there is a need for more humanitarian actors to be making efforts to access populations in need of both assistance and protection. Even though the new "cluster" approach is to be applied in DRC, the approach has not yet reached Katanga, given the failure to respond to the very acute needs in the areas visited, not to mention the potential needs in other areas. Without an immediate increase in humanitarian assistance and protection in parts of Katanga, too many lives will continue to be lost.

Context of the Mission
The ICVA Secretariat joined OCHA on a mission to look at the roll-out of the "cluster" approach, as well as to look at the humanitarian situation in the South-eastern province of Katanga, DRC. A separate report comments on the roll-out of the cluster approach, while this report focuses on the situation in the areas of central Katanga visited by the mission: Mitwaba, Malemba Nkulu, and Dubié. While the mission's visits to these three areas was extremely short (15-17 March 2006), it was nonetheless very apparent that there are dramatic needs that are not being met. During the visit to Katanga, the mission was joined by journalists from BBC World Service, Reuters, Time Magazine, and an independent photographer.

Background
The situation in Katanga has been well-documented by others^1. in recent months, describing the conflict that has been waging between the Congolese national army (FARDC) and the Mai-Mai militias. The fighting has resulted in waves of displacement, particularly in central Katanga. The total numbers of displaced in Katanga, while estimated at around 150,000, are not known for sure, as there are parts of the province that remain unvisited by humanitarian staff. Abuses have been reported by both the Mai-Mai and the FARDC against the civilian population. The displacement has been greatest around the triangle of Manono, Pweto, and Mitwaba where the FARDC has been carrying out military operations against the Mai-Mai. The next triangle of military operations planned by the FARDC is between Mitwaba, Malemba Nkulu, and Bukama.

The situations in which the displaced find themselves vary from place to place - in some locations, they face few problems in terms of security or access to means of survival; in other locations, their ability to move freely outside of camps is restricted by the military, thus affecting their ability to survive. As in every situation of displacement, people are forced to leave much - if not everything - behind and to try to find ways of coping.

Findings
In each of the three areas visited by the mission - Mitwaba, Malemba Nkulu, and Dubié - there are great differences in the way in which the displaced populations have been received by the local community and the way in which the displaced are able to survive. In each location, the displaced have been forced to move as a result of the fighting between the national army (FARDC) and the Mai-Mai.

While the situation in Dubié was the most urgent seen by the mission, there are areas in the vicinity of Dubié that could be equally - if not more so - in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. There is an immediate necessity for more humanitarian actors to provide assistance and protection in central Katanga, particularly in Dubié where there are high mortality rates, increasing levels of malnutrition due to a lack of food, and insecurity. There are new admissions to the MSF Therapeutic Feeding Centre (TFC) every day. As one woman in a displaced camp of 9,000 said "two or three people dying a day has become a fact of life." Yet, MSF is the only international humanitarian organisation to be seen in Dubié.

Nothing Radically New…
Nothing seen by the mission is new or unknown - there have been reports about the situation that have pre-dated the mission. The number of needs that were seen in the short time of the mission's visit in central Katanga was particularly striking. If there were more humanitarian agencies on the ground, needs could be better assessed and the protection challenges facing the population more thoroughly understood and addressed.

One of the biggest challenges in the DRC is the logistics of getting people and supplies from one place to the other. In meeting the humanitarian needs of the population, humanitarian agencies must, however, be prepared to tackle these challenges. At the same time, without adequate donor support, the ability of many agencies to access remote locations will remain limited.

From Malemba Nkulu….
The town of Malemba Nkulu provides a very positive example of how displaced persons are taken in by the host population. When newly displaced persons arrive in the town, the chefs de quartier consult with the community in their quartier to ensure that housing is found for the displaced. People are either found houses of their own or are housed with families. There, apparently, is little difficult in integrating the displaced population within the local community, which is of the same ethnic origin. Most of the displaced, however, cannot afford enough food, adequate medical care, or even clothing, according to the chefs de quartier. Some who arrived in Malemba Nkulu have gone elsewhere to work to earn some money.

A recent survey of the displaced in the town, done by World Vision and Action Contre la Faim (ACF), found that there are few humanitarian needs in the town itself, but that supporting the local hospital (where the staff has been on strike for a month because of non-payment of salaries), as well as providing fishing lines and hooks to allow the displaced to get their own food until the planting seasons, would be the most appropriate interventions to pursue.

Security does not seem to be an issue in the town of Malemba Nkulu, as those with whom the mission met noted that they felt safe and did not have problems with the military. Meanwhile, however, outside the town, the abuses seem to be continuing. The mission heard of some horrific stories detailed by displaced persons of the abuses committed by the Mai-Mai in their places of origins, including of people being beheaded and their heads being placed on stakes.

On Lake Upemba, South of Malemba Nkulu, the mission flew over what are termed "floating islands" where there are displaced who have sought safety on the islands. While there were settlements on many of the islands before, there are now reports of many displaced persons seeking refuge on the islands as well. ICRC is working with MSF to identify and to try to meet some of the greatest needs in the area of the "floating islands" and around the Lake Upemba area - areas that are extremely difficult to access.

Accessing the Populations in Need Outside of Malemba Nkulu, there are also apparently great needs where there are more displaced. What exactly those needs are is not clear. Getting to those locations takes a significant amount of time, but can be done - just not necessarily in the traditional white 4X4 vehicles that humanitarians are accustomed to using. Motorcycles and boats are the means by which some villages have to be accessed. Without such flexibility on the part of humanitarian agencies, there will be many displaced that will remain without humanitarian assistance or protection.

…To Mitwaba… In Mitwaba, the displaced are continuing to arrive in the village as they flee fighting between the Mai-Mai and the FARDC, with some 580 people arriving three weeks before the mission's visit. There are three camps of displaced persons in Mitwaba, with over 8,000 persons in total, and with other displaced in small sites along the road. Water and sanitation is becoming problematic as the rainy season is almost over and water will be difficult to find. Camp management and coordination is an area that remains a gap to date.

Security in the camps in Mitwaba was seen as the biggest problem. Displaced persons living in the camp described being "visited" by soldiers, at night, who would steal belongings from them. There are reports of harassment, some cases of rape, but mainly the theft of non-food items, such as buckets and plastic sheeting. There are cases of the military stealing people's electoral cards (the cards required to be able to vote in the upcoming elections) so that they would pay the soldiers to get back their cards in order not to lose their right to vote. Residents in the camp showed the mission how they are carefully hiding their electoral cards to avoid them being stolen.

Despite spending a very limited time with the displaced in the camp, the mission heard a number of protection concerns coming to light. The abuses reported should be further explored by those with a protection mandate. Without increased presence in the area to provide protection, there is the chance that such abuses will continue and may even increase. In speaking with people in the camp, there were some who said that they would like to see MONUC (the UN Mission in DRC) come to protect them, as was done in Ituri.

Children in the camps are not going to school as they would have to pay school fees, which most families cannot afford. Many people were working in local fields to make some money in order to buy food, but with the end of the rainy season, such income generation is not a possibility.

It is thought that there are many displaced further South of Mitwaba, between Sampwe and Mitwaba and also South of Sampwe towards Likasi, but the conditions in which they are living and the level of humanitarian needs is unknown: it is likely that they are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Withdrawing Part of the Problem
The 63rd Brigade of the FARDC, which has been posted in Mitwaba since the late 1990s, has long been pointed to as being responsible for many of the abuses against the civilian population. After a formal request for its withdrawal by MONUC, the Brigade is now to be withdrawn. It seems, however, that the Brigade will not be replaced. Worryingly, as the 63rd Brigade is moved from Mitwaba, it will be engaged to do a clean-up operation to root out Mai-Mai for some 25-50 km along the main road that leads from Lubumbashi to Mitwaba. Given the 63rd Brigade's reputation for abuses against civilians, there is the likelihood that such a "clean-up" operation will result in further displacements and violence against civilians.

Physical access to Mitwaba is a particular challenge, given the poor conditions of roads and broken bridges along the route from Lubumbashi. In order to make the area more accessible to humanitarian actors, the airstrip requires rehabilitation and the roads are in need of repair.

….To the Worst Case Scenario: Dubié
Around the small town of Dubié, there are three camps of displaced persons who began arriving in the area in November 2005 in waves. There are now some 16,000 displaced living in the three camps in an area where the only international humanitarian agency is MSF, which is being overstretched. There are excessive mortality rates, with some 10-20 people dying per week; increasing malnutrition rates due to a lack of food; and insecurity for the population in the camps.

Restricted Movement
The population explained that they were actually brought to Dubié by the army. They have also been forced by the army to return to their own fields to work and harvest them and to then bring the food back for the army. At the same time, the population noted that their movement outside the camps is restricted by the army to no more than 10km, with the restrictions being greater when moving to the South. If they want to go to a village, they need to clear it with the military. They are not, however, allowed to move between villages.

Given the lack of freedom of movement, it is difficult for the displaced population to be able to find adequate means of survival. In a meeting with the displaced in one of the camps, the primary concern raised was the lack of food. WFP did a half ration distribution at the end of January/beginning of February. Another distribution is planned for the end of March, but still not at a full ration. There is lack of food in the pipeline and WFP is facing inadequate funding. Throughout the camp visited, people were drying the skins of manioc to eat - a part of the root that is usually considered as waste and which is fed to animals. There is little else available to eat.

Malnutrition rates are rising, given the lack of food. An MSF Therapeutic Feeding Centre is constantly receiving new patients. Health care is an area where there are still needs, despite mobile clinics to each of the camps by MSF. Mortality rates are also very high. Based on a grave count done by MSF in the cemetery used exclusively by one camp, the crude mortality rate was estimated to be 2.8/10,000/day between 15 December 2005 to 15 February 2006.

Despite the limited time that the mission had in the camp, it was surprising how many protection concerns came to light. There were stories told by women of their sons and/or husbands being taken away by the FARDC because they were suspected of being Mai-Mai. One teenage boy explained that he had been held by the army for two weeks on suspicion of being Mai-Mai and had to pay in order to be released. There were also reports of harassment by the military. When the mission was leaving the camp, one gentleman noted that those who had spoken so openly to us would face problems because the military was watching and he asked when we would return.

Another concern raised by those in the camp was the fact that they do not have electoral cards. There was no voter registration done in their home village because of the fighting and by the time they arrived in Dubié, the registration was complete. The inability to vote was a major concern for the population.

Some Next Steps
Responding to Humanitarian Needs
In order to respond adequately to the unmet humanitarian needs in central Katanga, there is an urgent need for the mobilisation of the international community. The response, to date, has been delivered by too few humanitarian actors, given the needs. The UN and NGOs - particularly international NGOs with emergency response and logistics capacities - must pay greater attention to the situation in Katanga and respond accordingly. Clearly, the Humanitarian Coordinator's role, along with OCHA, is to ensure a full understanding of the situation and to mobilise an appropriate response. Given the logistical challenges in the area and the associated costs, innovative means of sharing resources between agencies may be a way to ensure a quicker response than waiting for various agencies to set up their own offices.

Ensuring Protection
International presence will be a first step in ensuring better protection, but at the same time, stopping the abuses being committed is a task that falls to the government and the broader international community, given the limited role that humanitarians can play in terms of providing protection. The Congolese government must take its responsibility to protect its citizens more seriously and must make stronger efforts to put an end to the abuses by the national army.

Delivering Food and Nutritional Programmes
Given the severe food shortages and the insecurity that prevents the population in Dubié from being able to find their own food, there is an urgent need for more complete food rations to be distributed. The costs of such food delivery will be significant and donors must be prepared to provide the means necessary to quickly deliver the much needed food.

Funding for nutrition programmes must also be quickly released. The current stipulation for NGOs to access UNICEF funds (given the relationship with the transitional government) is that nutritional surveys must be done in three health districts prior to UNICEF being able to release the funds. This time-consuming process must be overcome in order to allow NGOs to carry out much-needed nutritional programmes.

Making Funds Available Quickly for a Better Response
Funds must be made available to those humanitarian agencies that are able to quickly get programmes running that will respond to the needs. Donors, particularly those who recently visited Katanga with UNHCR, must put in place the mechanisms to allow funds to be rapidly disbursed. The "pooled fund," under the control of the Humanitarian Coordinator, is one way of quickly accessing funds to respond to the humanitarian needs and should be used in an efficient manner. At the same time, given that the pooled fund is still in an "experimental" stage, there will likely be the need for broader donor support.

A First Test for the Clusters?
The sad irony in central Katanga is that the new "cluster approach" being rolled out in DRC is supposed to prevent situations, such as Dubié where there is an inadequate humanitarian response, from occurring. If there are no agencies able to respond to the humanitarian needs, then the cluster leads are supposed to step in as the "provider of last resort." The case of Dubié clearly has put on the table the fact that there is no clear definition of when that "last resort" needs to begin - otherwise, the cluster leads should have stepped in months ago to respond to the unmet humanitarian needs that were so apparently seen.

24 March 2006

Notes

1. See, for example, International Crisis Group, Katanga: The Congo's Forgotten Crisis, Africa Report No 103, 9 January 2006; MSF, Running for their Lives - Repeated Civilian Displacement in Central Katanga, DRC, January 2006; Neal, Rick and Andrea Lari, Democratic Republic of Congo: Respond to Needs of the Displaced in Katanga, Refugees International, 7 March 2006.
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