Children queue for food at an aid station for thousands of displaced Congolese in Kibati, 12km from Goma. (Photograph: Stephen Morrison/EPA)
Nov 20, 2008
Urgent aid appeals for Congo are being made today as the extent of the humanitarian crisis is revealed.
Leading
aid agencies are joining together to call on the public for cash to
help ease the plight of those affected by the recent upsurge in
violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
More
than 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of
fighting in recent weeks, adding to more than 1 million people already
displaced.
There are reports from the country of rising cases of
malnutrition, rape and abduction. Rebels in Congo have withdrawn as
promised from some of their positions in the east to allow aid in.
The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched a Congo crisis appeal. Its chief executive, Brendan Gormley, said aid was getting through but the effort needed to be greatly increased.
"The
start of the rainy season has meant people living in already desperate
conditions are becoming ever more vulnerable," he said.
"We have got to do more and now, more than ever, we need the UK public to show their generosity."
Charles
Badenoch, the chief executive of DEC member agency World Vision, said:
"Children are being separated and orphaned by this intense conflict. Thousands
of people are vulnerable to rape, malnutrition, abduction and disease.
We urgently need your help to bring them relief, stability and hope."
The conflict had seen many people displaced for the second, third and even fourth time, the DEC said.
Aid
workers say thousands of children are living in spontaneous settlement
camps, where they are at increased risk of being physically and
mentally abused.
World Vision estimates there are around 5,500
former child soldiers in the camps who are vulnerable to being forced
to fight again by the militias.
Solange Nyamulisa of ActionAid
said it was helping a group of Congolese women organise a demonstration
at a refugee camp calling for protection and an end to violence against
women.
"Whilst UN
peacekeepers are authorised under their mandate to use force to protect
civilians, they need to be seen to be doing so, particularly around the
protection of women and children," Nyamulisa said.
"UN mission
forces should be providing 24-hour security at all refugee camps with
enough troops deployed in enough strength to serve as deterrents."
Witnesses say the rebels, led by Laurent Nkunda, have moved back 25 miles (40km) on two fronts north of Goma.
The withdrawal comes after several weeks of fighting and talks last weekend with the UN envoy Olusegun Obasanjo.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, welcomed the rebel retreat and the opening of aid corridors.
In a statement, he called on all sides to observe the cessation of hostilities.
Donations can be made by visiting dec.org.uk or calling the DEC on 0370 60 60 90, or at banks and post offices.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Urgent aid appeals for Congo are being made today as the extent of the humanitarian crisis is revealed.
Leading
aid agencies are joining together to call on the public for cash to
help ease the plight of those affected by the recent upsurge in
violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
More
than 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of
fighting in recent weeks, adding to more than 1 million people already
displaced.
There are reports from the country of rising cases of
malnutrition, rape and abduction. Rebels in Congo have withdrawn as
promised from some of their positions in the east to allow aid in.
The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched a Congo crisis appeal. Its chief executive, Brendan Gormley, said aid was getting through but the effort needed to be greatly increased.
"The
start of the rainy season has meant people living in already desperate
conditions are becoming ever more vulnerable," he said.
"We have got to do more and now, more than ever, we need the UK public to show their generosity."
Charles
Badenoch, the chief executive of DEC member agency World Vision, said:
"Children are being separated and orphaned by this intense conflict. Thousands
of people are vulnerable to rape, malnutrition, abduction and disease.
We urgently need your help to bring them relief, stability and hope."
The conflict had seen many people displaced for the second, third and even fourth time, the DEC said.
Aid
workers say thousands of children are living in spontaneous settlement
camps, where they are at increased risk of being physically and
mentally abused.
World Vision estimates there are around 5,500
former child soldiers in the camps who are vulnerable to being forced
to fight again by the militias.
Solange Nyamulisa of ActionAid
said it was helping a group of Congolese women organise a demonstration
at a refugee camp calling for protection and an end to violence against
women.
"Whilst UN
peacekeepers are authorised under their mandate to use force to protect
civilians, they need to be seen to be doing so, particularly around the
protection of women and children," Nyamulisa said.
"UN mission
forces should be providing 24-hour security at all refugee camps with
enough troops deployed in enough strength to serve as deterrents."
Witnesses say the rebels, led by Laurent Nkunda, have moved back 25 miles (40km) on two fronts north of Goma.
The withdrawal comes after several weeks of fighting and talks last weekend with the UN envoy Olusegun Obasanjo.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, welcomed the rebel retreat and the opening of aid corridors.
In a statement, he called on all sides to observe the cessation of hostilities.
Donations can be made by visiting dec.org.uk or calling the DEC on 0370 60 60 90, or at banks and post offices.
Urgent aid appeals for Congo are being made today as the extent of the humanitarian crisis is revealed.
Leading
aid agencies are joining together to call on the public for cash to
help ease the plight of those affected by the recent upsurge in
violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
More
than 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of
fighting in recent weeks, adding to more than 1 million people already
displaced.
There are reports from the country of rising cases of
malnutrition, rape and abduction. Rebels in Congo have withdrawn as
promised from some of their positions in the east to allow aid in.
The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched a Congo crisis appeal. Its chief executive, Brendan Gormley, said aid was getting through but the effort needed to be greatly increased.
"The
start of the rainy season has meant people living in already desperate
conditions are becoming ever more vulnerable," he said.
"We have got to do more and now, more than ever, we need the UK public to show their generosity."
Charles
Badenoch, the chief executive of DEC member agency World Vision, said:
"Children are being separated and orphaned by this intense conflict. Thousands
of people are vulnerable to rape, malnutrition, abduction and disease.
We urgently need your help to bring them relief, stability and hope."
The conflict had seen many people displaced for the second, third and even fourth time, the DEC said.
Aid
workers say thousands of children are living in spontaneous settlement
camps, where they are at increased risk of being physically and
mentally abused.
World Vision estimates there are around 5,500
former child soldiers in the camps who are vulnerable to being forced
to fight again by the militias.
Solange Nyamulisa of ActionAid
said it was helping a group of Congolese women organise a demonstration
at a refugee camp calling for protection and an end to violence against
women.
"Whilst UN
peacekeepers are authorised under their mandate to use force to protect
civilians, they need to be seen to be doing so, particularly around the
protection of women and children," Nyamulisa said.
"UN mission
forces should be providing 24-hour security at all refugee camps with
enough troops deployed in enough strength to serve as deterrents."
Witnesses say the rebels, led by Laurent Nkunda, have moved back 25 miles (40km) on two fronts north of Goma.
The withdrawal comes after several weeks of fighting and talks last weekend with the UN envoy Olusegun Obasanjo.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, welcomed the rebel retreat and the opening of aid corridors.
In a statement, he called on all sides to observe the cessation of hostilities.
Donations can be made by visiting dec.org.uk or calling the DEC on 0370 60 60 90, or at banks and post offices.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.