Mining town cut off by M23 rebels ‘has two weeks of supplies left'
A key mining hub in the Democratic Republic of Congo only has enough essential medicines to last for two weeks after being seized by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
Sources in Walikale, which was captured by the M23 on March 19, say the town is no longer safely accessible by road or air because of ongoing clashes between the army and rebels involving gunfire, drone strikes and explosions.
As a result, reserves of supplies and critical drugs including antibiotics, painkillers, and HIV drugs needed to treat hundreds of people seeking refuge in the town, are about to run out, they told The Telegraph.
'The last delivery we received of essential medicines and supplies was January 17,' said Marco Doneda, head of Medicines Sans Frontiers' programmes in North Kivu. 'If things do not change, we estimate that in two weeks we will run out of critical medications, including antibiotics.'
An MSF-supported hospital in the centre of the town is currently sheltering more than 700 civilians, who have fled their homes amid the near-constant gunfire and explosions that have rattled the area since the rebels launched their assault on the town.
'This is creating a situation that, from a point of view of hygiene, is not ideal at all, especially for a medical facility. It's impossible to get supplies, because there is no viable road to reach Walikale,' Mr Doneda said.
'We are also at risk because our hospital is not fortified or protected, it's in the middle of town and is totally exposed. On the first day of fighting, we came out of the facility to find gunfire had damaged our cars, and bullets had come through the gates,' he added.
Walikale sits atop large deposits of gold and tin, which is used as a protective coating for other metals and in industries including food packing and electronics.
Walikale is the Western-most town to fall to the M23 since they launched an offensive on the eastern DRC in January. The group has also captured the two major cities in the region, Goma and Bukavu.
More than 7,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands more displaced in the DRC since January in the latest escalation in conflict between the armed forces and the M23, which was formed in 2012 and has roots in the 1998 Rwandan genocide.
The group promised to withdraw from Walikale last week as a gesture of peace, but heavy fighting has continued in the area.
'These past days, the situation continues to deteriorate. The violence has severely impacted access to healthcare, as 80 per cent of the population has fled the city hearing artillery fire and fearing hostilities,' a spokesperson for the charity said.
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