LUSAKA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said here Friday that the influx of asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has triggered a humanitarian emergency.
Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo told parliament in a ministerial statement that the number of DR Congo asylum seekers has risen to over 6,100 since January this year, the highest to enter the country over the years, posing a humanitarian emergency.
As a result, the total number of DR Congo refugees in the country has reached about 30,000, he added.
The Zambian minister said the accumulated number of refugees and other persons of concern in the country from neighboring countries was about 60,000.
The government, he said, expects the influx of DR Congo asylum seekers to increase as there was still instability in some parts of the neighboring country due to failure to hold presidential and general elections as scheduled.
