KINSHASA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 35 in the recent bombing of several sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with 37 others injured, local officials said on Thursday. The provincial government put the death toll at 12 last Saturday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday that at least five rockets fell last Friday in and around four IDP sites in the outlying neighborhoods of Goma, the capital of the DRC's eastern province of North Kivu.

In response, an urgent meeting was convened by the provincial military governor in Goma on Thursday. The provincial government decided to hold a funeral for the victims on Saturday.

OCHA warned that the risk of further shell explosions "cannot be ruled out," as one of the fallen shells remains unexploded, and there is an escalation of hostilities in areas surrounding IDP camps.

The sites bombed last Friday are located on the axis between Goma and the city of Sake, one of the epicenters of hostilities between the DRC military and rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23), considered the last barrier to the city of Goma.

Humanitarian access to IDP sites along the Goma-Sake axis has been "further restricted" due to persistent fighting, OCHA said.

The DRC government has blamed the attacks on M23 rebels, who have taken control of some parts of North Kivu province. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, has called on all parties to take appropriate measures to reduce risks to the protection of civilians and maintain humanitarian access.

MONUSCO is expected to leave the DRC no later than the end of 2024, handing over UN bases and equipment to DRC security forces under a three-phase departure plan.

Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat has condemned the attacks on the IDP sites, reiterating his support for efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in eastern DRC and throughout the Great Lakes region. Enditem

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