DRC : DISPLACED PEOPLE IN ITURI

Since the end of 2009, thousands of civilians have found themselves trapped by the ongoing conflict pitting the military against other armed groups in southern Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The district of Ituri is an area of fertile soils and expansive forests. South of the town of Bunia, lush hills undulate along Lake Albert, marking the border with neighboring Uganda. This land could flourish, but the lure of the precious minerals buried within those hills has triggered innumerable acts of aggression. As various armed groups have fought to control the area's natural resources, the name Ituri has become synonymous with violence.

I spent five months in the area of Gety in Irumu territory, where Médecins Sans Frontières provide assistance to displaced populations, who daily struggle to survive.