Volcanic Eruption Displaces 5,000 Persons In DR Congo, Half A Million Without Water, Electricity
The United Nations Secretary-General confirmed the number of victims, stating that counting is ongoing in DR Congo for proper assessment.
More than 5000 people have lost their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo following a volcanic eruption last Saturday, May 22, 2021 at Mount Nyiragongo in Goma.
According to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, electrical lines and water pipes were also destroyed leaving more than 500,000 people without water or electricity.
“There is the high possibility that these numbers would be revised upwards as further information is received,” the UN Secretary-General revealed.
This situation has compromised the movement of humanitarian personnel and those involved in United Nations peacekeeping efforts as well as government workers. It also affects the evacuation of those seriously affected by the catastrophe.
“The eruption happened at a time when humanitarian needs are already very high and increasing by the day in the province of North Kivu,” Guterres revealed.
“Some 44 per cent of the five million displaced persons are in North Kivu and 33 per cent of the 3.2 million inhabitants are already in a very grave situation of food insecurity.”
On the part of the DR Congo government, a delegation dispatched from Kinshasa arrived in Goma on Monday, May 24, 2021, and has been carrying out solidarity missions among the population of Goma and evaluating the situation to map out humanitarian, health, and security responses adapted to the circumstances.
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