Goma occupied by rebels - 500,000 people on the run

The conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has escalated dramatically. On January 27, the rebel militia M23 took control of the megacity of Goma after the fighting between militias and the Congolese army in North Kivu increased massively. Since the beginning of the year, around 500,000 people have fled to the provincial capital.

This means that the number of refugees in and around Goma has risen to more than one million.

The situation of the refugees is catastrophic, especially for women, children and the elderly. Many are severely traumatized because they have lost relatives or had to leave their possessions behind. The Baptist Church in Central Africa (CBCA), our UEM member church based in Goma, reports that there was no electricity or drinking water in the first few days after the rebels took over. The situation has stabilized somewhat in the last few days, but outages continue to occur. The hospitals in Goma and the surrounding area are completely overloaded. There is a lack of vital medicines and dressing materials. In the CBCA's Ndosho Hospital alone, 450 people with gunshot wounds were treated within a few days. An eyewitness* reports by cell phone that residents are hiding in their homes because gunshots and explosions are constantly being heard. Despite this, the streets are full of people looking for shelter.