Alarming malnutrition rates in North Kivu, DRC

Kinshasa - "These high rates are the direct result of the insecurity which has prevailed in the area for months because of the militia activities," said UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) spokesman, Kemal Saiki, who based his observations on nutritional surveys carried out by a local non-governmental organisation.

"People do not dare go either into their fields or to the nearby health centres," he added.

According to the survey, the malnutrition rates recorded in the area are alarming, reaching a rate of 14.6 percent and resulting in mortality rates of 4.81 per 10,000 people every day. The survey covered children up to five years old.

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