Goma, 18 November 2011 ? Village leaders in the eastern Congolese village of Mweso are trying to scare internally displaced persons (IDPs) into leaving camps as an attempt to expropriate land, according to JRS Great Lakes.
Goma, 18 November 2011 – Village leaders in the eastern Congolese village of Mweso are trying to scare internally displaced persons (IDPs) into leaving camps as an attempt to expropriate land, according to JRS Great Lakes.
The local leaders are manipulating recent announcements by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), JRS continued, spreading the message that IDPs will no longer receive any food assistance and must leave the camps.
Late last month, banana trees were planted in front of a number of homes in Kalembe Remblais camp as a signal to the IDPs living there to leave. The forcibly displaced persons who already face multiple challenges in the North Kivu war-affected region reacted angrily, causing tensions in the camp to rise significantly.
Subsequent mediation between NGO workers, including some JRS staff, has convinced these village leaders to remove the banana trees, and calm has been restored to the camp.
A new strategy to assist IDPs
As of 1 November the WFP introduced a new food assistance strategy for IDPs living in Masisi district whereby free food assistance is provided on the basis of vulnerability, not displacement status as was previously the case.
Following the recent survey by the WFP, less than two-thirds of IDP families living in five camps in Masisi town, 63 percent will continue to receive food assistance. The remaining 37 percent will receive other forms of assistance to help them become autonomous.
The new strategy has not yet been implemented in the in the 24 camps in Mweso, since the vulnerability surveys are still being conducted. However, rumours regarding vulnerability criteria reached both village leaders and IDPs.
"The main problem is that village leaders are manipulating the WFP strategy. They are telling IDPs that the WFP wants all the non-vulnerable groups to leave the camp. It's absolutely untrue. The WFP and NGOs in the field must take measures to make this point very clear to both local authorities and IDPs living in the camp", said JRS Great Lakes Communications and Advocacy Officer, Danilo Giannese.
Abandoned?
Yet, this approach is not without risks, according to Mr Giannese. One possible outcome is that the most vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, older persons and orphans, risk being abandoned in the camps as others in the communities, not eligible for food aid, may decide to leave.
"The same strategy was implemented in 2009 in the camps in Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu province where food assistance was provided for vulnerable persons only. The IDPs who were ineligible for food assistance left the camp, abandoning vulnerable parents, siblings, and relatives", said JRS Project Director working with vulnerable groups in Mweso, Beatriz Garcia.
"After two years, only the chronically sick, the older persons and those affected by mental health illnesses are still living in the Mugunga III camp, in Goma. They continue to receive assistance from international humanitarian agencies, but they don't have their families anymore", added Ms Garcia.
"The international community allowed the IDP populations to leave the camp and shirk their responsibility for vulnerable family members. Today, we truly hope that vulnerable IDPs in Masisi will be not abandoned", concluded Ms. Garcia.
The local leaders are manipulating recent announcements by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), JRS continued, spreading the message that IDPs will no longer receive any food assistance and must leave the camps.
Late last month, banana trees were planted in front of a number of homes in Kalembe Remblais camp as a signal to the IDPs living there to leave. The forcibly displaced persons who already face multiple challenges in the North Kivu war-affected region reacted angrily, causing tensions in the camp to rise significantly.
Subsequent mediation between NGO workers, including some JRS staff, has convinced these village leaders to remove the banana trees, and calm has been restored to the camp.
A new strategy to assist IDPs
As of 1 November the WFP introduced a new food assistance strategy for IDPs living in Masisi district whereby free food assistance is provided on the basis of vulnerability, not displacement status as was previously the case.
Following the recent survey by the WFP, less than two-thirds of IDP families living in five camps in Masisi town, 63 percent will continue to receive food assistance. The remaining 37 percent will receive other forms of assistance to help them become autonomous.
The new strategy has not yet been implemented in the in the 24 camps in Mweso, since the vulnerability surveys are still being conducted. However, rumours regarding vulnerability criteria reached both village leaders and IDPs.
"The main problem is that village leaders are manipulating the WFP strategy. They are telling IDPs that the WFP wants all the non-vulnerable groups to leave the camp. It's absolutely untrue. The WFP and NGOs in the field must take measures to make this point very clear to both local authorities and IDPs living in the camp", said JRS Great Lakes Communications and Advocacy Officer, Danilo Giannese.
Abandoned?
Yet, this approach is not without risks, according to Mr Giannese. One possible outcome is that the most vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, older persons and orphans, risk being abandoned in the camps as others in the communities, not eligible for food aid, may decide to leave.
"The same strategy was implemented in 2009 in the camps in Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu province where food assistance was provided for vulnerable persons only. The IDPs who were ineligible for food assistance left the camp, abandoning vulnerable parents, siblings, and relatives", said JRS Project Director working with vulnerable groups in Mweso, Beatriz Garcia.
"After two years, only the chronically sick, the older persons and those affected by mental health illnesses are still living in the Mugunga III camp, in Goma. They continue to receive assistance from international humanitarian agencies, but they don't have their families anymore", added Ms Garcia.
"The international community allowed the IDP populations to leave the camp and shirk their responsibility for vulnerable family members. Today, we truly hope that vulnerable IDPs in Masisi will be not abandoned", concluded Ms. Garcia.
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