Refugees fleeing DRC fighting arrive in Uganda

Thousands of refugees are fleeing clashes that have rocked the Democratic Republic of the Congo by seeking safety crossing the border in Uganda. The United Nations refugee agency has been working with the Ugandan government to assist more than 10,000 refugees in Uganda’s southwest Kisoro district. The violence involving the military and different rebel groups began in North Kivu province in the eastern DRC on March 28, uprooting thousands of women, men and children. According to UNHCR, an additional 36,000 people have been displaced within the DRC. Footage from the World Food Programme showed refugees arriving at the Ugandan border with all the belongings they could carry. They had sought shelter in makeshift camps, schools and markets. Refugee Festo Gakuru said he, his wife and their five children needed help as they had no food or clothing after being forced to flee without time to prepare. The UNHCR and WFP said they were coordinating the humanitarian response to provide for those in need.