The M23 rebels remain in Walikale city, the capital of the Walikale district in the eastern North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite an earlier pledge to withdraw, Congolese radio station Okapi said on Monday.
Moreover, the M23 group's reinforcements, including troops and supplies, were airlifted in two flights via the Kigoma airfield in the Walikale district, Okapi reported, citing a civil society source.
Meanwhile, violent clashes reportedly erupted on Monday between the M23 rebels and pro-government Wazalendo fighters in the settlements of Shabunda and Mutakato, 27 kilometers east of the Masisi district, bordering the Walikale district.
Amid the escalating crisis in the eastern DRC, nearly 70,000 people—mainly women, children, and the elderly—have fled fighting to Burundi since January, the WFP reported.
"The number of refugees has doubled in just a few weeks, and although we are grateful for the funding received to date, it’s simply not enough. Our available resources are stretched beyond capacity, and we’re being forced to adapt our operations and reduce rations to reach as many people as possible," WFP’s Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa Dragica Pajevic said.
To ensure uninterrupted assistance, the WFP urgently needs $19.8 million to maintain adequate support for the most vulnerable until the end of the year, the report added.