North Kivu continues to face a major humanitarian crisis since the resurgence of the M23 war. The city of Goma hosts several IDP sites, including the Bulengo camp. The latter is home to nearly 25,000 households, i.e. several thousand families, settled in makeshift dwellings made with tarpaulins.
Overcrowding and the lack of water and sanitation infrastructure lead to epidemics of cholera and measles, which particularly affect women and children. The NGO Médecins sans frontières (MSF) provides medical care for patients suffering from these deadly diseases. Since March, Bulengo camp has had to deal with two epidemics, one of cholera and the other of measles.
The humanitarian situation is critical, and the needs for water, food and medical care are urgent. NGOs such as IPAS, which provides dignity kits as well as quality care to displaced women, or even MSF, are there to try to bring aid to the populations.
Faced with this catastrophic situation, solidarity must be in order. Local and national authorities, as well as international organizations, must work hand in hand to provide effective assistance to displaced populations and thus enable them to regain a dignified life.