More than 250,000 people have been displaced in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a result of fighting between rebel forces and government militia. They join more than one million already displaced in the region, raising fears of another humanitarian disaster.
Mission Aviation Fellowship which has a base in Bunia, 370km from Goma has helped fly medical supplies and a medical team to some of the internally displaced people (IDP) camps. ‘It was very sad to see the IDP camps from the air on the edge of Goma and destroyed, looted villages, homes in the area,’ said pilot Dave Jacobsson.
Last month, Nyankunde, where MAF was based until 2002, fell in the path of advancing rebels. No one was killed but many fled their homes and their possessions were stolen. For many residents who were forced to leave their homes during heavy fighting in 2002, it brought back painful memories. Pilots were able to fly supplies to replace those that had been stolen as the rebels marched through.
The rebel activity intensified towards Goma, where IDP camps have been looted and destroyed in what the Red Cross describes as a ‘human catastrophe.’
Last week, fresh fighting erupted in an area to the east of the country and fighting was reported near Ngungu 37 miles to the west of Goma. There are fears that the rebels will try to surround the city.
MAF flights have also been assisting several relief agencies in delivering food and medical supplies to refugee camps in the northern region of the DRC in response to the Lord’s Resistance Army’s (LRA) raids on villages there. Rebels have been killing, burning buildings, looting, and abducting children and women since mid-September.
Dave Jacobsson: ‘It has been very insecure even at airstrips and then it is difficult getting the aid on to displaced peoples due to very bad or non-existent roads, or insecurity along the roads.’
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a ceasefire to allow aid workers to reach 100,000 refugees cut off in rebel-held areas north of Goma.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Bringing help and hope to people in need around the world, MAF flies in over 30 developing countries, providing vital support for numerous relief and development organisations, aid workers and international aid agencies, missions, and churches.
MAF UK is based in Folkestone.