Goma: They will bury 200 people who died in the refugee camp

The funerals of these people are taking place in the city of Goma and, as planned by the North Kivu provincial government, there will be events accompanying them and a mass.

Some leaders of refugee camps in the city of Goma say they have lost more than 5,000 people who have been neglected since the war began hitting the regions of Rutshuru, Masisi and Nyiragongo.

Janvier Luanda, who raised refugees in Mugunga camp, said they died from various diseases within two months.

“In two months, we lost those who did not sit down. Although most of them were suffering from cholera due to poor hygiene, some were suffering from malaria, but there were also people suffering from hunger, cold and pneumonia, especially children. »

There are several refugee camps on the outskirts of Goma, housing dozens of refugees, but some elders say people in the camps are living in poverty.

Musekuru Theo, head of Kanyarucinya refugee camp, said that in just two months, the camp where he grew up had lost 17 people who were sick and had no access to care.

Musekuru said 1,300 people have died since 2022 due to malaria and lack of medicine and food.

Faustin Mahoro, head of the Burungo refugee camp, said they have buried 1,500 people who died from disease and neglect since 2023, and now they have lost 76 people in the past two months.

Bahati Maniriho James, head of the Busimba camp, said they had lost 48 people in two months.

Judith Rushoti, head of the Baraka camp, said 34 people had died in the past two months, adding that patients had run out of medicines and asked the government to help them.

“Imagine killing 34 people in two months, not to mention the innocent people, it hurts our hearts because the authorities don’t help us,” Yunzemo said. »

Ndaambaje Irategeye of Rushagara refugee camp said they had killed 30 people in two months, while Justin Kamama, head of Don Bosco refugee camp in Goma, said he saw many people dying in the camp due to lack of medical care and food.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the countries with the largest number of refugees both inside and outside the country, with 165,000 refugees fleeing the war with M23 militants in the Lubero, Masisi and Rutshuru regions, and 165,000 and 67,000 refugees in North Kivu province, respectively, while the Masisi region itself has 448,000 refugees.