Democratic Republic of the Congo - IOM and its Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) partners started site consolidation and closure operations in some displacement sites in North-Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on 30 August. This on-going process will last until 30 of September.

The MUGUNGA 1 displacement site near Goma, and the Bweremana and Kishusha sites in Masisi territory, which are all coordinated by IOM, will be dismantled, closed or consolidated.

The closing and consolidation operations are part of the CCCM cluster’s 2013-2016 strategic framework for North-Kivu, which aims to promote sustainable solutions and restructuring of the humanitarian response in the various displacement sites.

The operations follow a CCCM survey in North-Kivu showing that, following consultations, 9,468 internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in the sites expressed a willingness to voluntarily leave.

Philippe Muhima, information management officer at the IOM North-Kivu sub-office, said: “At the request of the IDPs, a few months before the start of the operations, exploratory visits were organized in the primary areas of return. Information collected was then shared with the IDPs, which influenced their decision to return to certain areas. It was crucial for them to be able to make an informed decision. They have a choice to either return to their communities of origin, return to another community, integrate into the host community or transfer to another displacement site.”

IOM will assist with transfer and integration for those choosing to transfer to other displacement sites.  It will also process written statements of voluntary return. These government / CCCM documents, which include biometric data, certify that the holder is a former IDP.

Following the consolidation and closing process, IOM and its humanitarian partners will provide food assistance, agricultural inputs and non-food relief items to the IDPs in order to support their reintegration in the areas of return.

As part of the 2013-2016 strategic framework, since the start of 2015 the CCCM cluster has been engaged in the consolidation and closing of five displacement sites (Buhima, Nzulo, Shasha, Lac vert coordinated by IOM and Lusuli coordinated by UNHCR). The operations were funded provided by ECHO (EU) and OFDA (US).

The DRC has been engulfed in conflict for more than a decade. Approximately 700,000 people are still displaced in the North-Kivu province, with 200,000 of them still living in displacement sites.

For further information please contact Boubacar Seybou at IOM DRC, Tel: +243 (0) 812 043 425, Email: bseybou@iom.int