Over 1,000 wounded in east DR Congo hostilities

Over 1,000 wounded in east DR Congo hostilities

The majority of the wounded are civilians, suffering from gunshot and fragmentation wounds, the portal wrote with reference to Bruno Lemarquis, the Deputy Special Representative to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Resident Coordinator and Coordinator of Humanitarian Operations in DR Congo.

The UN official said local hospitals are filled beyond capacity, and assistance provided by Doctors Without Borders, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) is not enough to alleviate the situation, TASS reported.

According to Lemarquis, hospitals are experiencing a lack of medicines, equipment, and personnel, which “raises the risk of human casualties.” Hospitals in Goma, underfunded and understaffed, are unable to cope with the flow of the wounded. Shortages of antibiotics, donor blood, and disposable medical and surgical equipment have also been reported.

On top of that, the city’s power and water supply systems have collapsed, and residents have to drink untreated water from natural sources. This raises the risk of a cholera outbreak.

To make matters worse, city morgues are filled beyond capacity, and dead bodies are lying in the streets.

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