Renewed fighting over the last month in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has left around 100,000 people homeless and living in dire conditions.
Entire villages have been emptied of their populations as residents flee battles between Congolese government forces and the Ituri Patriotic Resistance Front (FRPI) in Oriental province’s Ituri district.
Reports of kidnappings and rapes have led many people to seek safety in the dense forests or to head to safer communities.
Tearfund has visited five villages which are now hosting 56,000 displaced people and where humanitarian needs are increasing.
One woman with a young child to look after summed up the outlook of many of those who had been forced to go on the run: ‘I am so, so tired of running, hiding and running again from angry young men with guns.’
Desperation
David McAllister, Tearfund’s DRC Country Director, said, ‘From our visit, it was all too clear that there was a rising level of desperation among those who had been forced to flee for their lives.
‘Many of them were already living in extreme poverty and had to leave behind homes and livelihoods they had struggled to build up. They now have little to fall back on and urgently need help.’
Tearfund partners are drawing up plans to assist the most vulnerable by providing clean water supplies, building latrines and supplying hygiene kits and other everyday essentials.
Oriental province isn’t the only place affected by conflict in DRC. Tearfund teams and partners have also been helping displaced people in neighbouring North Kivu province, offering a mix of short and long term support so people can rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
In July, Tearfund launched an emergency appeal for the DRC. Please support it here.