Fatshimetrie: The difficulties of access to drinking water for the displaced people of Kigonze – An urgent call for humanitarian action
At the heart of the news, a dark and alarming picture emerges: the fourteen thousand displaced people of the Kigonze camp, located in Bunia, have been struggling for six months to access drinking water. In an environment where only four of the seven water boreholes are still functioning, the situation is becoming critical for these vulnerable populations.
In this large camp, the displaced people’s precarious shelters stand under a blazing sun, symbols of their daily struggle to guarantee essential access to drinking water. Bahati Londo, secretary of the site, underlines the despair of the situation: “There is a lack of water. There were seven boreholes, but now three are broken, depriving the displaced people of an adequate water supply.”
Faced with this shortage, some displaced people must now venture out of the camp to look for water, at a cost of 100 Congolese francs per can. This is a worrying reality that highlights the urgent need to act to meet the humanitarian needs of these vulnerable populations.
The water boreholes installed on the site by organizations such as IOM, UNICEF and Tearfund were once vital sources of water for the displaced. Today, their failure highlights the fragility of essential infrastructure in humanitarian crisis contexts.
In addition to the lack of drinking water, the displaced people of Kigonze are facing another major hygiene challenge: the unsanitary conditions of toilets overflowing with excrement. For several months, the lack of maintenance of the latrines has exacerbated the health precariousness on the site, exposing residents to increased risks of disease.
Faced with this critical situation, an urgent call for humanitarian action is necessary. It is imperative to mobilize resources and efforts to ensure immediate access to drinking water for the displaced people of Kigonze, as well as to improve hygiene conditions on the site.
In these times of crisis, solidarity and commitment to the most vulnerable should guide our collective actions. It is our common responsibility to respond to the call of these populations in distress, by offering them the necessary support to get through this ordeal with dignity and humanity.