Fire displaced Janga Kanyaruchinya Nyiragongo: the urgency of reinforced humanitarian action
A tragic fire occurred on Monday September 11 at the Janga displaced persons site, not far from Kanyaruchinya, in the territory of Nyiragongo, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This incident cost the lives of two children and led to the destruction of five huts.
According to testimonies collected, the fire started when the motorcycle, covered with a tarpaulin, which was stored in one of the huts, caught fire. The flames quickly spread to the surrounding huts, destroying everything in their path. Unfortunately, two children aged 6 and 8 lost their lives in this fire, while their parents were hospitalized due to shock.
This tragedy highlights the precarious conditions in which the displaced live. The president of the Kanyaruchinya IDP camp, Théo Mushekura, highlighted the lack of firefighting equipment in the camp and called on authorities to take measures to ensure the safety of residents.
Furthermore, civil society in Nyiragongo has expressed concern about the difficulties faced by displaced people in different sites in the region. Humanitarian assistance remains insufficient and makeshift shelters are dilapidated, exposing families, particularly pregnant women and children, to bad weather.
It is therefore essential that the authorities take immediate measures to improve the living conditions of the displaced. This involves providing adequate humanitarian assistance, putting in place fire safety measures and finding durable solutions to enable the return of displaced people to their villages of origin.
The fire in Janga is unfortunately a stark reminder of the precarious situation in which many displaced people find themselves in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is our collective responsibility to provide adequate support and work to address the root causes of these forced displacements, in order to provide a better future for all those who have been affected by this crisis.