Bunia, April 29th, 2026 (CPA). – Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo has expressed shock over the “dehumanized” living conditions of war-displaced persons in two humanitarian sites in Bunia, Ituri province, in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, CPA learned Wednesday from a religious source. “I see you, and it is a feeling of outrage. It is difficult to understand, to accept that people—men, women and children—in their own country find themselves in such a dehumanized situation as I see today,” said Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo. “And what is most shocking is that this situation has lasted for a long time. There are children who were born in these conditions, in displacement camps, who no longer even know their villages,” he added. On this occasion, the Archbishop of Kinshasa called on all stakeholders to take responsibility in order to find appropriate solutions and end this distressing situation that offends human dignity. “We are all called to take responsibility. The situation you are experiencing was caused by certain people, both within and outside our country,” he said, urging the involvement of the international community to help end this humanitarian crisis. “I assure you, on behalf of the Catholic Church, that we will always stand by your side until a solution is found,” he reassured.
1.3 million displaced persons facing health risks
Earlier, the Director of Caritas of the Bunia Diocese, Reverend Father Justin Zanamuzi, painted a bleak picture of the situation, estimating 1.3 million displaced persons, including 30,000 hosted in the ISP and Kigonze lycée sites, exposed to serious health and nutrition problems. “We have about 6,000 households, around 30,000 people in the ISP and Kigonze sites. In total, in Ituri province, we have around 70 displacement sites. The largest sites are here. We also have another large one in Drodro, Rho (Djugu), and others elsewhere. Here in Bunia we have about 30,000 people,” he explained. “In Ituri province, across all sites, we have around 1.3 million displaced persons, both in sites and host families. These displaced people are living in extreme suffering. Especially recently, funding has significantly decreased,” he added, noting that the health risk in the two main sites remains very high.