2012-07-11
Xinhua
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 16,500 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have fled to western Uganda, and the UN Refugee Agency is providing assistance to them, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters here on Tuesday.

"OCHA says that more than 16,500 Congolese refugees have been registered at the Nyakabanda transit camp in Kisoro, in Western Uganda," Nesirky said at the daily news briefing. "Access to clean water is a major challenge at the camp, as the district water system is not working."

"The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is helping to transport the refugees to a nearby refugee settlement," he said.

Additional assistance has also come from the Uganda UN Country Team, which has requested funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in order to aid those who have fled the escalating violence in eastern DRC.

In response, CERF has allocated 6.9 million U.S. dollars to provide support in nutrition, water and sanitation to an estimated 30,000 Congolese refugees that have recently arrived to Uganda, according to Nesirky.

The intense fighting between Congolese troops and M23 rebels last week forced thousands of refugees to cross to Uganda. Ugandan Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said on Monday that the current influx of refugees fleeing fighting in eastern DRC is straining social services in the western part of his country.

Uganda has called for a regional emergency meeting on the latest fighting in eastern DRC which will convene this week, said Uganda's acting foreign minister Henry Okello Oryem.