GOMA / GENEVA, 6 September 2007 - Since last week, tens of thousands of people have been fleeing their homes due to the increasingly intense conflict in Nord Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) calls on the government and the other parties to the conflict to provide protection and humanitarian access to civilians. NRC welcomes the visit of UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes to North Kivu, to bring more attention to the plight of IDPs in the region, and to ensure that more is done to ensure their protection.

Since December 2006, at least 224,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, bringing the number of displaced in Nord Kivu to more than 650,000. Since the start of armed confrontations between the national army and troops loyal to Laurent Nkunda at the end of August, further tens of thousands have fled their villages to avoid getting caught up in the fighting. In many areas of North Kivu, armed men have been perpetrating rapes, attacks and lootings against civilians, causing a climate of fear. During their flight, members of families and children have been separated. The people displaced are extremely vulnerable, and increasingly without access to food, safe water and healthcare. While the school year officially started on 3 September, thousands of displaced children have been prevented from going to school.

"Due to restricted access to many areas, it is very difficult at the moment to get accurate information on the situation of the displaced. The government and parties to the conflict have an obligation to provide access to and protect civilians. Protection must be guaranteed during flight and in displacement areas," said NRC Secretary General Thomas C. Archer.

More and more people are spontaneously settling in displacement sites, because of the overstretched capacity of host communities to support them. Fearing to go back to their villages, people remain in displacement areas for longer periods becoming increasingly vulnerable, as they lose access to their livelihoods.

"Civilians are trapped in the escalating conflict and further violence and displacement will have dramatic humanitarian consequences," Archer said. He added that "NRC welcomes the visit of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, to North Kivu, to bring more attention to the plight of IDPs in the region, and to ensure that more is done to ensure their protection."

Regularly updated information on all situations of conflict-induced displacement is available from the IDMC's website at www.internal-displacement.org.

The Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring internal displacement worldwide.

For more information contact Simona Pari, Protection and Advocacy Adviser, NRC Democratic Republic of Congo tel: +243 81 1517835, email: parisimona@nrcdrc.org; or Astrid Sehl, Media Adviser, NRC Headquarters, Oslo tel: +47 92 28 47 52, email: astrid.sehl@nrc.no.