NEWS > Appeals and Stories > Urgent appeal for Congo's most vulnerable victims > Life in a displaced persons camp
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Life in a displaced persons camp  Visiting the displaced people for the 3rd time yesterday, they live in critical condition. Lack of food is a serious problem in camps. Speaking to the people, this is the 3rd weeks since they were given 3kg of maize flour, 1kg of beans per household (in Sona village) for two weeks and 23kg of maize flour, 5kg of beans, 2.5l of cooking oil, 3 bars of soap per household for three weeks(in Vilo camp). Looking at the quantity of the relief aid received, compared with the length of time spent, it is not sufficient at all, this is the reason why the displaced people risk, to go back in the war zone to look for food in their garden. Some of them gather fire wood and sell them at 7km to get food in order to survive.In Vilo camp, the people received some canvas covers to cover the roof of their small camping houses however in Sona camp, they use grass to make their camping houses as they have not received the canvas covers. The camping houses as you can see on the pictures sent, do not have doors nor windows, this is to say that the people inside are exposed to cold especially during this rain season in the area. Some households cook after their neighbors and this because they share the same cooking pots as they do not have enough. Once cooked, the food is put on the leaves for people to eat, in families who do not have plates. It is also common to find more than one family in the same house where there is no privacy at all! In both camps now, the latrines are built and we work with MSF, assuring daily medical care for sick people among the displaced. People get water from the existing water taps and the river in the villages; however to draw water is still a problem for many people who do not have tins.  Hunger is a major problem in the camps whereby most people eat once daily. If there is no improvement in terms of food provision, there is risk for people, especially the children to develop malnutrition which may lead to death. Lack of shelter is also a problem, especially during this rainy season in the area. While visiting the camp yesterday, I found one of the houses made of grass burnt, and the owner injured while rescuing his children. Children suffer from cold and other bad weather, sleeping without covering themselves in houses made of grass without doors, in a different climate from where they are born. Very few people have mosquito nets, this is to say that most of them, especially the children are exposed to malaria which is one of the main diseases in the area. There is risk for more houses to get burnt during the dry season in December if proper measures are not taken. Lacking shelters, some displaced people still sleep in school buildings and leave them in the morning for pupils to study in. Cooking is a problem for many displaced people as they have to wait for a neighbor to finish cooking before they do; using the same pans and tins to draw water. Having a big number of people living together without privacy, there is risk of sexual transmitted diseases, including HIV. |
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