humanitarian aid for civil war victims

Situation

Bloody conflicts have played out in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for decades now. Particularly North Kivu has been a crisis hotspot since the first wave of refugees arrived in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The situation in the province escalated again sharply in 2022 when the fighting between armed rebel groups (most notably, the M23 movement) and the government forces intensified again. At the end of January 2025, M23 occupied the city of Goma, triggering a new wave of mass displacement.
More than two million people have since been forced to flee their home due to the violence. Displaced within their own country, they face dire humanitarian conditions. Many live without support in makeshift camps or in temporary accommodation in a school or church. Access to clean water, healthcare and basic hygiene is extremely limited.
Farming and trade in the region have been devastated, meaning millions are going hungry and have virtually no access to healthcare or education. Especially young women and girls are at risk of violent assaults at the hands of the armed groups.

Target groups

Caritas Goma’s emergency response focuses on assisting those forced to flee the violence, who are now living in poorly equipped makeshift shelters. Caritas also supports communities affected by the consequences of climate change, who have lost their farmland or homes to flooding, for example. It is moreover helping to protect young women and girls facing violence. The project supports 110,000 internally displaced families and host families in Goma, Karisimbi and Nyiragongo in North Kivu Province.

Measures

Assist families affected by the war, who are living in a refugee camp or with a host family; secure the food and drinking water supplies; construct latrines, showers, and washing facilities; distribute household items; provide medical care, psychosocial support and birth assistance.

The Redel Foundation is supporting the project with €120,000.

Impressions