Emergencies in Congo

Caritas appeals for peaceful elections in Congo

On 28 November 2011, Congo held its second democratic election since a 1998-2003 war in which as many as 5 million people are estimated to have died. Despite a formal peace accord eight years ago, Congo still faces simmering conflicts with rebels in its east. Caritas Congo and the Church in Congo have been part ...

Continue Reading...

Caritas launches a comic strip about violence and hope in Congo

Caritas launches a comic strip about violence and hope in Congo

Available in French Click here to read the entire comic strip In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), violence against women is a frequent problem. Rape has become a weapon of war in the country. In many instances, armed men will overrun a village, attack the inhabitants, rape the women, destroy crops and leave in ...

Continue Reading...

Q and A on Congo’s six million killed

Q and A on Congo’s six million killed

More than six million people have died as a result of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1998. We asked Joseph Donnelly, Caritas Internationalis Permanent Delegate at the UN in New York, if the international community is closing its eyes?  JD: A multi-million dollar UN-peace keeping operation has been in Congo for 10 ...

Continue Reading...

Caritas working to rebuild lives in Congo

Caritas working to rebuild lives in Congo

Caritas works in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by providing humanitarian relief to victims of the conflict through Caritas Goma. Life as a survivor of sexual violence In ten parishes, Caritas Goma has set up centres where rape victims can get help from psychologists. “The most important part of my work is to give my ...

Continue Reading...

Caritas appeal for refugee crisis in North-West Congo

Caritas appeal for refugee crisis in North-West Congo

Caritas is providing humanitarian relief for 12,000 families forced from their homes by ethnic conflict in the north west of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo DR). The fighting is taking place in a remote part of the country. Over a hundred thousand people have fled their homes due to the violence. Caritas is helping ...

Continue Reading...

Imagine compassion in a crisis: Congo’s killing fields

Imagine compassion in a crisis: Congo’s killing fields

“All I want is for an end to this war so my family can return to our village,” said Sophie Kenzia. The people of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were just aching to go home. They wanted safety, a dry bed and regular meals. What they got was rape, killing or a grim life in ...

Continue Reading...

Goma suffers as Congo unrest continues

Goma suffers as Congo unrest continues

Seven people killed and 255 houses burnt down in rebel attacks in North Kivu, eastern Congo. The news to come from Caritas Congo yesterday was bleak, like it has been for months. First there were stories of conflict and displacements, then the stories of child soldiers and rapes. Even a volcano may now erupt near Goma in ...

Continue Reading...

Urgent appeal for Congo

Urgent appeal for Congo

Caritas needs US $12 million to provide the basic needs of 400,000 people caught in escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The conditions have sharply worsened for over one million people because of an increase in fighting between foreign militias and the government’s army. The militias include the FDLR militias (Democratic Forces for ...

Continue Reading...