Top stories from DAWNS Digest.
South Sudan Displaced Grows to 1 Million
Meanwhile, the UN launched a $1.27 billion appeal to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by this crisis. “As many as one million people have been displaced in the recent fighting in South Sudan and international organisations urgently require funding to meet the needs of those who have fled their homes…some 70,000 to 80,000 displaced people had sought refuge at U.N. bases – the U.N. mission in the capital Juba, the U.N. house and at some other sites. The U.N. is opening a new facility hosting up to 5,000 people to ease congestion…At least 3.2 million people in the country – more than a quarter of the population – face food shortages and aid agencies say insecurity is hampering their operations.” (Trust.org http://goo.gl/qXQ6cx)
Evidence Surfaces of a “Scorched Earth” Campaign in DRC Province
The people of the restive DRC province of Katanga are under siege. “Village after village in this remote region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been razed to the ground since October 2013 by armed groups calling for the resource-rich province of Katanga to secede and become an independent state. These groups, as well as political affiliates operate under the collective name of Mai Mai Kata Katanga. The ‘scorched earth’ campaign by the rebels and clashes with security forces have displaced up to 400,000 people from what has been dubbed the ‘Triangle of Death.’ An unknown number of people have been killed or wounded, and top UN official for DRC last week called the situation a ‘humanitarian disaster.’” (IRIN http://bit.ly/1jdpchS)