A truce in Congo ends in a week. Aid groups say it could be a lost opportunity to help civilians

GOMA, Congo (AP) — A two-week truce in eastern Congo has heavily reduced fighting, but with a week left aid workers and local civil society groups say not much help has reached millions of people who are trapped in one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

The two-week humanitarian cease-fire was announced by the U.S. a week ago, bringing a pause to clashes between Congolese forces and rebels allegedly backed by neighboring Rwanda in the mineral-rich region. Fighting has intensified this year, especially in the North Kivu province where hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

The two-week period is not enough, and even during the truce there have been reports of continuing violence in Masisi territory near Goma, the capital of North Kivu, said Abdoulaye Barry, head of the sub-office of the U.N. refugee agency in the region.

“Even in accessible areas, the displaced suffer because resources are limited," said Barry, adding that the agency has yet to deploy additional resources.

In the Bulengo displaced persons camp, one of the region's largest, news of the truce brought joy that quickly faded when aid failed to arrive, said Faustin Mahoro, a refugee and head of the camp.

“We continue to suffer from the lack of humanitarian support,” said the 45-year-old father of eight. “We don't see the benefit of a humanitarian truce if humanitarian aid does not reach us.”

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, replied when asked why aid isn't being delivered to eastern Congo: “This truce was an extraordinary effort, and I think it was an extraordinary step forward to get this cease-fire.”

“ It is still ongoing, and we will continue to push for the cease-fire to last longer, so that we can get humanitarian assistance in,” she told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York. “The situation is still evolving, but we have not given up on getting the assistance directly to people, but in the meantime, we will be pushing for extending the truce.”

Far from the nation’s capital, Kinshasa, eastern Congo has long been overrun by more than 120 armed groups that have carried out mass killings as they seek a share of the region’s gold and other resources. The most active is the March 23 Movement, or M23, which once occupied Goma and now controls about half of North Kivu province, according to Richard Moncrieff, the Crisis Group’s Great Lakes region director.

Violence has spread across other parts of the country and has displaced more than 7 million people, most of them in the east.

At least 416 violent attacks have targeted civilians across the country this year, resulting in 1,467 deaths. Nearly half the deaths were in the North Kivu province, according to the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, known as ACLED.

The French medical organization Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, said the cease-fire would help it work “more calmly and deliver medications” in several affected communities where it already operates. “The absence of artillery between the two parties enables us to work more safely in the sites where we offer free care,” said Camille Niel, MSF’s emergency coordinator.

The U.N. children’s agency last month reported a 30% increase in grave violations against children in eastern Congo during the first three months of this year, compared to the last quarter of 2023.

Even though fighting has reduced on the frontlines, the villages of Nyange and Bibwa in Masisi territory experienced violent clashes on Wednesday between M23 rebels and some “youth resistance fighters,” who often work with security forces, said Kambere Bonane, a civil society leader in the region.

“We commend international diplomacy, but we urge the international community to move beyond theory and consider practical solutions for lasting peace,” Bonane added.

Associated Press journalist Chinedu Asadu contributed from Abuja, Nigeria.

People displaced by the ongoing fighting gather at refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

A boy cooks red beans for his little brothers at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

A young girl carrying her sister on her back stand outside a refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

People displaced by the ongoing fighting gather at refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

A man holds his child while listening to the radio at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

A young mother Alphonsinne Tchimbaye holds her month-old twins inside her tent at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

People displaced by the ongoing fighting gather at refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

A mother Mapendo with her child sits outside her tent at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday, July 8, welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached "alarming levels" and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Debby has made landfall Monday in northern Florida as a Category 1 storm.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Debby has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph). The storm made landfall in Steinhatchee, a tiny community of less than 1,000 residents in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Forecasters warned heavy rain could spawn catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.

Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The center of Hurricane Debby is expected to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday bringing potential record-setting rains, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge as it moves slowly across the northern part of the state before stalling over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.

Debby was located about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Cedar Key, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (120 kph). The storm was moving northeast at 10 mph (17 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Forecasters warned heavy amounts of rain from Debby could spawn catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.

The storm was expected to make landfall Monday morning in the Big Bend area of Florida, north of Tampa, the hurricane center said. A tornado watch also was in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia on Monday.

“Right now, we are to trying secure everything from floating away," said Sheryl Horne, whose family owns the Shell Island Fish Camp along the Wakulla River in St. Marks, Florida, where some customers moved their boats inland.

The sparsely populated Big Bend region in the Florida Panhandle also was hit last year by Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane.

“I am used to storms and I’m used to cleaning up after storms,” Horne said.

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee said Monday morning that heavy flooding was the biggest concern in the Big Bend regions, with storm surge expected across Apalachee Bay.

In Marion County, which is inland and south of Gainesville, sheriff’s officials noted in a Facebook post Monday that crews were responding to reports of downed power lines and trees that have fallen on roadways and homes.

Debby was expected to move eastward over northern Florida and then stall over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, thrashing the region with potential record-setting rains totaling up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) beginning Tuesday.

Officials also warned of life-threatening storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 meters) of inundation expected Monday between the Ochlockonee and Suwannee rivers.

“There’s some really amazing rainfall totals being forecast and amazing in a bad way,” Michael Brennan, director of the hurricane center, said at a briefing. “That would be record-breaking rainfall associated with a tropical cyclone for both the states of Georgia and South Carolina if we got up to the 30-inch level.”

Flooding could last through Friday and is expected to be especially severe in low-lying areas near the coast, including Savannah, Georgia; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. North Carolina officials were monitoring the storm's progress.

Officials in Savannah said the area could see a month’s worth of rain in four days if the system stalls over the region.

“This is going to a significant storm,” Savannah Mayor Van. R. Johnson said during a press conference.

Debby's outer bands grazed the west coast of Florida, flooding streets and bringing power outages. Sarasota County officials said most roadways on Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, were under water. The hurricane center had predicted the system would strengthen as it curved off the southwest Florida coast, where the water has been extremely warm.

At a briefing Sunday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned the storm could lead to “really, really significant flooding that will happen in North Central Florida.”

The storm would follow a similar track to Hurricane Idalia but would “be much wetter. We are going to see much more inundation," he said.

Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris, all of which formed in June. In the Eastern Pacific, tropical storms Carlotta, Daniel and Emilia all churned over the ocean, but they weren’t threatening land.

Residents in Steinhatchee, Florida, which flooded during Hurricane Idalia, spent Sunday moving items to higher ground to prepare for Debby.

“I’ve been here 29 years. This isn’t the first time I’ve done it. Do you get used to it? No,” Mark Reblin said as he moved items out of the liquor store he owns.

Employees of Savannah Canoe and Kayak in Georgia said they were busy tying down their watercrafts, laying sandbags and raising equipment off the ground. Mayme Bouy, the store manager, said she wasn’t too concerned about the forecast calling for a potential historic rain event.

“But we do have some high tides this week so if the rain is happening around then, that could be bad,” Bouy added. “I’d rather play it safe than sorry.”

DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, with the National Guard activating 3,000 guard members. Utility crews from in and out of state were ready to restore power after the storm, he said in a post on X.

In Tampa alone, officials gave out more than 30,000 sandbags to barricade against flooding.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster made their own emergency declarations.

Emergency managers in New England and New York were monitoring the path of the storm for the possibility of remnants striking their states. Northeast states including New York and Vermont have been hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms in recent weeks and were still coping with flooding and saturated ground.

This story has been updated to correct that the Big Bend area is north of Tampa, not south of Tampa.

Chandler reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Jake Offenhartz contributed from New York.

A pedestrian wades across a flooded street as a result of Tropical Storm Debby in the Shore Acres area of St. Petersburg, Fla., on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Floodwaters cover parts of the Shore Acres neighborhood of St. Petersburg, Fla., as a result of Tropical Storm Debby Sunday afternoon, Aug. 4, 2024. (Dylan Townsend/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A trio of fishermen take advantage of the favorable weather conditions along Suncoast Key in Ozello, Fla., before Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Christopher O'Meara)

A vehicle drives through a flooded street as Tropical Storm Debby approaches Florida, on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024 in Gulfport, Fla. (Dylan Townsend/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Visitors to the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks navigate a flooded street on Sunday, Aug 4, 2024 in Tarpon Springs, Fla., as Tropical Storm Debby stirs moisture offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Landon Stanley pulls his friends Jakob Jackson and Emerson Porcelli-Wilson in the waters flooding the streets from Tropical Storm Debby on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024 in Tampa, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A man struggles to secure construction equipment against of the surf, pushed by winds from Tropical Storm Debby, in Cedar Key, Fla., on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Christopher O'Meara)

St. Petersburg Stormwater Management workers Mariano Morales, left, and Brad Sharp, work to clear debris from a flooded street in Shore Acres during Tropical Storm Debby Sunday afternoon, Aug. 4, 2024. (Dylan Townsend/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A man takes photos of the surf pushed by winds from Tropical Storm Debby as they break over the sea wall in Cedar Key, Fla., on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Christopher O'Meara)

Mabrey Shaffmaster, left, carries her nephew, Arlo Hoggard, 3, left, as her sister, Morgan Hoggard, carries nine-month-old son Ace Hoggard through a flooded street as Tropical Storm Debby approaches Florida on on Sunday, Aug 4, 2024 in Tarpon Springs, Fla. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image taken at 11:11pm ET shows Hurricane Debby approaching Florida on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (NOAA via AP)

A driver negotiates a flooded street as Tropical Storm Debby passes just to the west of the Tampa Bay, Fla., region, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)