According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), after members of the armed group killed nearly 50 people and injured 13 others over the weekend, thousands of people fled their homes in the Irumu area.

The attack, which occurred on the night of July 26-27, targeted a group that was in a church, but also affected other residents of the town, and several local residents remain missing.

OCHA noted that those who left their homes moved toward Marabo and Bunia, and in a statement expressed concern for the 38,000 Congolese who had arrived in the town of Komanda seeking refuge, many of whom are now left without shelter.

“The security situation has led to the suspension of humanitarian movements along the main supply routes in Irumu territory, disrupting vital assistance in the area,” the institution noted.

It added that since the beginning of July, attacks attributed to the ADF in Irumu and Beni territories have caused more than 100 civilian deaths and displaced more than 50,000 people.

jdt/arm/mem/km