For months, M-23 rebels and the Congolese army have been fighting for supremacy in the North Kivu region. On Nov. 15, as bomb blasts and gunfire drew ever closer, thousands fled in panic from the villages of Nyesisi and Ngugo to the Kanyaruchinya refugee camp near Goma. Because the shelters there are already overcrowded, many families are living in makeshift tents under inhumane conditions. They could only take the bare necessities with them and are dependent on help. According to the church, around 40,000 people have left their villages. Many families come from the north and have been on the run for months. They cannot find peace. Children and women in particular are suffering under the difficult living conditions.

The local Baptist church is helping:

- It is providing emergency shelter for about 5,000 people and distributing drinking water, aid packages with food, clothing and medicine.

- Women and girls receive hygiene kits and pregnant women and nursing mothers are provided with additional food.

- Church employees are on site and provide psychosocial care for about 300 children so that they can deal with the fears of the flight.

With emergency aid totaling 15,000 euros, the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, the Evangelical Church of Westphalia and the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) are supporting the Gereja Kalimantan Evangelis (GKE) in Indonesia in dealing with the consequences of the ongoing severe flooding in South Kalimantan.

Biggest flood in 50 years

The region has been affected by massive rainfall since January 7 this year. Rivers have burst their banks, flooding villages and towns in ten districts. Rural areas such as Tapin and Banjar are affected, as well as larger cities such as Banjar Baru and Banjarmasin. According to the Indonesian government, these are the largest floods in 50 years.

Victims will be dependent on emergency aid for a long time to come

At least 112,700 people have been brought to safety so far, and 40,000 affected people have been left homeless. At least fifteen people lost their lives. In more than 27,100 houses, the water is up to three meters high. Power outages occurred in several regions. Many roads have become impassable or have been washed away by the masses of water. The floods have also increased the risk of epidemics. According to the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the above-average rainfall during the current rainy season may continue until February. This means that people affected by the floods will be dependent on emergency aid for a long time to come.

The UEM member church Gereja Kalimantan Evangelis (GKE), which is based in South Kalimantan, is asking the German churches for rapid financial support in order to be able to continue its diaconal emergency aid for the affected people. Urgent needs include basic foodstuffs, ready-to-eat food, mineral water and medicines against diarrhea and itching.