People are trapped in a climate of insecurity amidst clashes in Uvira
The security situation around Uvira, South Kivo Province, has been recently Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)rapidly deteriorated and reached a key point on February 15. Residents described robbery, increased violence and conflict Inside the city between the Congolese Army (FARDC) and the Wazalendo fighter jet. Medical facilities Not yet spared the gunshots, affecting patient care. Staff from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) attended the situation at the beginning of the conflict.
“When we hear the camera, we have to cover it up quickly like patients, and we have to stop the activity, which delays their care and treatment,” said a colleague who is not international and incompetent. “The next day, the gunshots came from Anywhere, so we had to stay at home. But the hospital (the general referral hospital in Uvira) started to get a lot of injuries, so we came to the hospital for reinforcements, risking catching the wandering bullets.”
Hospitals in the area have faced a large influx of injured people since February 17, with about 10 people a day, including civilians. Despite the insecurity, Ministry of Health staff continue to provide emergency care, with a large number of staff from other hospital departments to help with the surgery and operating rooms. A few days later, a total of more than a hundred injured people were treated.
“This week, the city became impossible, with gunfire from morning to night,” explained the staff of MSF. “Personally, I have lost track of the days because we are all subject to Some of my colleagues are victims of all this chaos, and some are robbed by armed personnel.”
Chaos and constant gunfire in the city have seriously affected the roads and people’s ability to move. This lack of mobility prevents emergency responders from stepping in time. Ambulances face difficulties moving around, but they will pick up lifeless bodies on the road at any time.
Many times, Uvira’s general referral hospital has been exchanged for fire, seriously endangering patients and employees. The night before, medical activities must be interrupted again and patients must avoid being hit. Armed personnel also entered hospital houses and roamed and opened fire.
“These violations and extreme insecurity have been going on for several days are unacceptable,” said Caglar Tahiroglu, Uvira’s MSF event coordinator. “We call on all parties to the conflict to respect the protection of civilians, medical staff and infrastructure as soon as possible so that we can continue to provide medical services to the population.”
The city of Uvira, which shares its border with Burundi, is on the verge of chaos. Several displacements have been observed in distressed climates. Burundian authorities estimate that more than 35,000 people have been moving since early February.
“On the first day, I saw the whole family leave the home with their luggage and head in a different direction.” “Then I saw the streets empty and become completely deserted. People were scared. They hardly had them Information about what actually happened, and affected by the rapid escalation of the country’s crisis, they imagined all possibilities. Since economic activity has been blocked for six days, the opportunity to get food became crucial. We don’t know tomorrow What impact will it have on us.”
In an ongoing sense of insecurity, MSF has been forced to reduce the team at UVIRA, where we have been supporting the Ministry of Health to diagnose and treat patients with MPOX for several months. Faced with the influx of injuries and equipment shortages, MSF is redirecting some activities to support care for those injured in the war by delivering vital medical equipment to several medical facilities at Uvira Health Zone.
Distribution by Apo Group on behalf of Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
