People in Congo who were displaced by fighting are not returning home despite a ceasefire, ActionAid says.

Hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes in November and sought shelter in camps near the town of Goma after fighting between the Congolese army and rebel soldiers.

ActionAid has supplied people in the camps with food and emergency relief items such as soap, mattresses, blankets, plastic sheeting, water containers, mosquito nets and cooking utensils.

ActionAid is targeting aid at the most vulnerable people including unaccompanied children and child-headed households, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, female-headed households and survivors of sexual violence.

Maria Ali-Adib, ActionAid’s Emergency Response Program Manager in Congo, said: “We are not seeing large numbers of returnees, in spite of alleged peace. They are still worried for their safety if they go back. The needs of displaced people are still huge, particularly in the areas of protection and education.”

Last week Rwandan troops entered eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for a joint operation with the Congolese against a Rwandan Hutu militia sparking fears of more fighting and further upheaval to the civilian population.
 
Women are particularly vulnerable in the violence in eastern Congo and many are too traumatised or afraid of stigma to seek help.

“Earlier this week I met a 10 year-old-girl who had been raped and then held by soldiers,” Ms Ali-Adib added. “Weeks later she was found wandering around the forest by her sister. They’d thrown her out when they were finished with her and she has barely spoken since.”

ActionAid provides rape survivors with both emotional and practical help and last year helped to set up SAUTI (Sauti ya Mwanamke Mkongomani) - Voices of the Women of Congo - to give women in the region a stronger voice.