Refugees who haven’t eaten for days cheered when the first humanitarian convoy in a week arrived at their camp November 3rd, but the jubilation turned into anger when U.N. workers dumped soap instead of food.
U.N. officials admit hunger at the Kibati camp, where tens of thousands of refugees have sought safety, is dire but say their first priority is resupplying clinics looted by retreating government troops. Medical supplies and tablets to purify water were the priority in this shipment. The soap and plastic jerry cans for water distributed in Kibati on Monday were meant to help with sanitation amid fears of a cholera epidemic.
Food, however, was the critical issue for most people. A World Food Program official in Rutshuru, asked about the lack of food, said the group had supplies that would be delivered as soon as possible but reminded reporters that two truckloads of their food aid was destroyed by soldiers before the town fell on previous week.
“Everybody is hungry, everybody” said Jean Bizy, a 25-year-old teacher
Onesphore Sematumba, of local think tank Pole Institute, watched with horror as thousands of children lined up in the sun for hours at the Kibati camp to get tokens that will allow them to queue for high-energy biscuits. The children thought they were waiting for the biscuits.
“We really need to re-think humanitarian aid,” Sematumba said. “If you can’t help people, don’t create false hopes.”
U.N. officials said the token system was necessary because of the unrest that broke out when aid workers tried to distribute biscuits directly.
Both government and rebel forces are accused of gross human rights abuses .
When asked about the suffering his offensive has brought to a quarter million people, Nkunda replied: “That’s the cost of freedom.”
It’s a cost that the poor and the vulnerable will pay , and in the end , all for very little freedom.
AJ
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