### Humanitarian Crisis in Eringeti: An Urgent Call to Action
The city of Eringeti, located in the insecurity-ridden province of North Kivu, is the scene of a humanitarian crisis of alarming proportions. With at least 6,000 displaced households who have not received humanitarian assistance for more than four months, the situation is becoming increasingly critical. Germain Kakule Vatsurana, president of the Eringeti youth movement, is concerned about the growing precariousness of families affected by this disaster, while deploring the lack of aid since the now distant intervention of the World Food Programme (WFP) in August 2024.
The victims of this crisis are not just numbers; they are individuals who, having fled atrocities, find themselves trapped in a cycle of vulnerability. Displaced families, mainly from the Banande-Kainama, Irumu and Mambasa regions, fled the atrocities of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels. A situation that is reminiscent of other humanitarian crises that regularly shake the Democratic Republic of Congo and the entire continent, where the tragic and the ordinary coexist in a ballet of unbearable suffering.
### A Statistical Reflection on Humanitarian Assistance
To better understand the scale of the humanitarian challenge in Eringeti, it is relevant to look at figures and statistics. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), it is estimated that 26 million Congolese, or about 30% of the population, will require humanitarian assistance in 2023. Nationwide, the lack of assistance translates into an acute malnutrition rate of 6.2%, which is particularly alarming among young children.
By comparison, some of the regions affected by protracted conflicts, such as Tigray in Ethiopia, have seen their humanitarian assistance levels fall from 65% before the war to less than 5% in recent crises, which, while extreme, gives a glimpse of the consequences of a lack of humanitarian assistance. Eringeti, for example, while far from reaching large-scale disaster levels, is beginning to show worrying signs of deterioration that could give rise to real areas of human suffering.
### Emergency and Insecurity: A Vicious Circle
In doing so, the situation in Eringeti exposes an even more tragic reality: host families, exhausted by solidarity efforts, are facing their own struggles for survival. Mr. Vatsurana’s testimony is alarming: “The families who hosted these displaced people no longer know how to go to the fields.” This highlights the inadequacy of a humanitarian relief system that places pressure on host communities, thereby increasing the long-term vulnerability of all parties involved.
Humanitarian access challenges are also an ongoing reality, exacerbated by the region’s insecurity. Often impassable roads, ethnic rivalries, and armed groups like the ADF complete this picture of desolation. By comparison, humanitarian organizations in Syria have faced similar challenges, with 70% of aid lost on the ground due to violence.
### Towards Collective Mobilization
To respond to this crisis, it is essential that governments, NGOs, and the international community quickly come together to restore assistance to these vulnerable populations. Concrete actions must be put in place, such as improving access to affected areas, support programs for host families, and organizing targeted fundraising.
In addition, a strong call for transparency from humanitarian organizations is necessary. Recurring reports on the allocation of resources, impact assessments on the ground, and initiatives to monitor the assistance provided can help instill trust among local populations. This can increase community resilience rather than create dependency, which, as history has shown, can be counterproductive.
### Conclusion
The humanitarian crisis in Eringeti is not just a local problem; it is indicative of a broader dynamic, where deprivation and insecurity are intertwined in a context of protracted conflict. The time for action is now. The 6,000 households currently suffering in Eringeti need immediate support, but also a long-term strategy that places human dignity and resilience at the heart of the priorities. Such an approach requires collaboration, empathy and an unwavering commitment to restoring hope and security in these precarious times.