In February this year, we launched an emergency appeal to respond to the disaster situation ongoing in the Internally Displaced People Camps in North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to the violent conflict between rebel groups and government forces, hundreds of thousands of families, women and children have been displaced from their homes and are living in desperate conditions in these camps. There is an urgent need for clean water, food, medication and supplies in these camps as multitudes of people try to cling to survival. These include some of the children who were being taken care of at the Sake orphanage before being evacuated at the climax of the conflict this year. This situation is still ongoing, and we continue to ask our supporters to support this cause, through prayer and financial support.
Our partners at Comfort Congo continue to visit the camps around twice a week, feeding in the region of 2,000 children every week. Many of these children are suffering from severe malnutrition and/or other diseases relating to the crowded conditions in the camp. The children are fed porridge as well as dishes of rice, beans and a little meat and vegetables. Twice a week, Moses Kusimwa Mulimbo, the nutritionist of Sake Orphanage and Central Hospital Rusayu Nutritional Centre, goes to meet the children anddispense medication. He treats the sick as necessary with antibiotics, anthelmintics, pain relief, diarrhoea treatment and other medication, which is provided by the Comfort Congo Pharmacy.
We have recently relaunched our campaign as more funds are needed to ensure we can continue sending out resources to feed this large number of children and try to save as many lives as possible in the midst of such a crisis. Many humanitarian agencies are working hard to try and provide resources and alleviate the situation in the camps but the need is immense and much more is needed to ensure many more lives are not lost. Our partners at Comfort Congo estimate around $6,000 a quarter are needed to maintain the feeding only for these children. You can see some of the amazing work being done by our partners below.
One of the children being cared for at the camps by the Comfort Congo staff is six-year old Francis. Francis was living with his uncle after his parents were killed by armed men who came to loot their village. According to those who rescued Francis, his father resisted the men who took the only sack of beans the family had left, leading to the death of both parents and leaving behind three children including Francis. Francis was taken by those who fled to Sake from Remeka, a village over 100 km away. Francis later left Sake when the bombs were crashing and guns shooting between the M23 and government forces. He is now with other children in an IDP camp under the supervision of Comfort Congo staff. Francis, and many other children, are in need of food, medicine and safety. Please help Comfort Congo to provide this by donating here today.
