Aid Worker Diaries - DRC: “Humanitarian assistance must go beyond the provision of food”
A worker with CARE states that people in the DRC need psychosocial aid as well as material aid.
More than 200,000 people had to leave their homes in search of security. Photo: CARE/Julie Edwards
How is the current situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
“People in eastern DRC are now for more than three months displaced and they cannot go back to their homes without fearing for their lives or attacks on their families. More than 200,000 people had to leave in a hurry and could just take a few of their belongings. Most of the displaced are women and children. The number of people seeking refuge in the official camps is increasing, and we can see spontaneous camps being set up. For example, in Katoyi, Masisi, where CARE is implementing an emergency health program, we did a rapid assessment and found a 25 percent increase in arrivals over a seven day period. Some people are hiding in forests or other areas that are difficult to reach. The majority of displaced people have found shelter at a host family. But these host families are now stretched to the limit and both, displaced people and host families, need our immediate help.”
What do people need?
“Host communities and displaced people urgently need food, water and hygiene support as well as shelter to protect them from the upcoming rainy season starting in September. Some areas are already affected by a cholera outbreak, so a swift response in health and hygiene is needed to prevent the disease from spreading and causing more suffering. Human rights violations remain one of the main concerns of CARE and the humanitarian community; and people need protection as well as psychosocial support to handle trauma. Many families have seen and experienced brutal violence, they are scared to go home.”
