Congo faces unprecedented crisis as violence displaces 250,000 in the last month, a UN official says

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Escalating violence in Congo’s eastern region has displaced at least 250,000 people in the last month, a senior United Nations official said Wednesday, describing the situation as an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

Far from the nation’s capital, Kinshasa, eastern Congo has long been overrun by more than 120 armed groups seeking a share of the region’s gold and other resources as they carry out mass killings. The result is one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with about 7 million people displaced, many of them beyond the reach of aid.

“It’s really heartbreaking (and) what I saw is truly a horrible situation,” Ramesh Rajasingham, director of coordination in the U.N. humanitarian office, told The Associated Press.

Rajasingham visited the city of Goma, where many are taking refuge. “Such a large number of displaced persons in such a short time is unprecedented,” he said.

https://apnews.com/article/congo-goma-m23-ramesh-rajasingham-c25566d2312e0674cca5489e3ff1bf8a