Hundreds of thousands of survivors of bloodshed and militia attacks are battling trauma and life in camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs)in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A report released by the UN said that some 1.9 million people were displaced within Ituri, accounting for one-third of all people displaced in the central African country.

For decades, tensions and conflicts have been running high in this part of the country, where hundreds of thousands of people had no choice but to flee their homes and take refuge in IDP camps scattered across Ituri.

Buma Annie, a 36-year-old lady who has been internally displaced since last year, recalled the day when she escaped by the skin of their teeth.

“During the attacks in my village, the militiamen first raped me and then massacred the members of my family,’’ she told Xinhua at the Kigonze IDP camp, located on the outskirts of Bunia.

In trauma, she crawled away out despite her legs, both brutally amputated.

“I have always felt alone in the absence of my family who has all perished in this insecurity situation, which unfortunately still does not end,’’ confessed Ms Annie.

Bernadette Ngadjoy, a 62-year-old mother, lost both of her children in the attack, stressing she now needed to refind the strength to live in the IDP camp.

Since the beginning of 2022, the escalation in violence in Ituri has led to the killing of an estimated 400 civilians and the displacement of over 83,000 people, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

As some 80 civilians have been murdered in the second week of March alone, OCHA claimed to have observed an increase in attacks on IDP sites and in areas where displaced people are seeking shelter.

In a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Johnny Luboya, Ituri’s military governor, noted the recent flare-up of violence against civilians’ mirrors.

The pressure of the military operations by the DRC authorities would last “until the effective restoration of peace.’’

“This pressure will continue permanently until the effective restoration of peace,’’ he said, calling on the population to be patient and trust the military operations in progress.

Alongside the ongoing military operations in Ituri, the DRC presidency has also initiated dialogue with the cooperative group for the development of Congo (CODECO), which has been active in Djugu, to find a peaceful solution.

(Xinhua/NAN)