Kirsi Koski-Kujala 
Fida has launched an emergency appeal due to the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and is preparing to assist people who have fled the fighting.
The long-standing armed conflict in the eastern part of DRC between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army has quickly advanced into the city of Goma, causing escalation to the humanitarian crises already one of the worst in the world.
Evacuated from Goma
Answering the phone from Rwanda, Elina Lehikoinen describes how she and her colleagues, Katja Köykkä and Adam Sorila, were urgently evacuated from Goma on Thursday morning.
Just two days earlier, Lehikoinen had visited the Bushagara IDP camp in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of her work as a humanitarian aid coordinator. This camp for internally displaced persons has offered shelter to over 18,000 people, most of them women and children.
Nothing indicated that 48 hours later a bomb would explode in the heart of the camp, forcing these people yet again to flee for their lives.
– I visited a safe space for women, talked with them, and asked how our work has helped. The women were making soap, and we stopped by the children’s area, which was filled with joy and play. Nothing suggested that 48 hours later a bomb would explode in the middle of the camp, forcing all these people to run for their lives, Lehikoinen says in shock.
A Rapidly Escalating Crisis
Lehikoinen lives in Burundi but travels regularly to Fida’s project sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the start of last week’s work trip, the situation in eastern Congo was already known to be extremely tense.
Thursday morning began calmly. Fida’s staff headed to their usual posts at the IDP camps, and Lehikoinen began a situation briefing with the local team.
The crisis escalated quickly: around ten in the morning, messages started flooding in about fighting near Goma. The Finnish staff were urgently evacuated to Rwanda, while local employees followed security instructions and returned home. A climate of fear descended upon Goma’s residents.
– The sounds of fighting could already be heard within Goma. Even here in Rwanda at night, we heard gunfire and explosions from across Lake Kivu. We are extremely worried about the people in Congo, Lehikoinen says.
A Critical Humanitarian Situation
The humanitarian situation in eastern DRC has long been catastrophic, and it is now growing even worse.
– This pushes people who are already living in dire conditions into an even more difficult situation. More aid is urgently needed, Lehikoinen emphasises.
In Fida’s humanitarian and development programmes around Goma, 33 staff members and 27 volunteers are working tirelessly to help vulnerable populations amid crises.
Fida has been working with internally displaced people in Congo DRC since 2008, making it one of the few Finnish organisations there. Fida’s local partner in DRC is the pentecostal church CEPAC.
Fida’s programmes extend to eg. IDP camps, schools, and healthcare. Fida is preparing to offer emergency relief—such as food, shelter, and psychosocial support—to those fleeing the escalating conflict.
In Fida’s humanitarian and development programmes around Goma, 33 staff members and 27 volunteers are working tirelessly to help vulnerable populations amid crises. Fida stays in close contact with the Goma office to provide assistance as needed.
Last friday the UN Refugee Agency reported that over 400 000 people have been forced to flee their homes in eastern DRC this year alone because of the fighting.
PHOTO: The Bushagara IDP camp and its numerous residents were caught in heavy fighting on Thursday.
