The safe-conduct corridor UN peacekeepers established in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spared more than 1,000 civilians from deadly clashes, a UN spokesperson said on Thursday.
"Peacekeepers are continuing to do their utmost to protect civilians in North Kivu amid ongoing clashes between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese armed forces," said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Dujarric said the North Kivu province corridor "has allowed more than 1,000 displaced men, women and children to move to safer ground."
He said peacekeepers from the UN mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, deployed to North Kivu and established a temporary base at Mweso for the humanitarian corridor earlier during fighting between the M23 rebel group and the DRC armed forces.
A peacekeeper from the MONUSCO stands at their base in Kamanyola, DRC, February 28, 2024. /CFP
"The UN mission is also continuing to protect and provide medical assistance to displaced communities taking refuge near its base in Kitchanga, which is about 15 km from Mweso," Dujarric said. "Additionally, the peacekeeping mission reports they helped evacuate to Goma eight Congolese soldiers wounded in the fighting with the M23."
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' ReliefWeb portal said, "North Kivu province was at the center of violent clashes between the Congolese army and M23 rebels. At least 19 civilians were killed, and up to 27 injured."
ReliefWeb cited the independent British non-governmental organization Action on Armed Violence for the casualty count.
On Monday, the spokesperson said, "The humanitarian impact of the latest intensification of violence has been alarming. Some 8,000 men, women and children have been displaced and sought shelter near Mweso Hospital."
Dujarric added that 250,000 people in the Mweso health zone urgently need humanitarian assistance and that there were dozens of civilian casualties.