UK aid: Helping families who've fled violence in DRC

News21 March 2023

Christine tells her story to one of Concern's Protection Officers in Oicha, DRC. Photo: Concern Worldwide

With more than half a million people fleeing their homes in recent months due to conflict in eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Concern is responding to meet the needs of a growing number of displaced families in the region, thanks to UK aid funding.

As armed groups continue to attack vulnerable communities in the east of the DRC, the number of people displaced by the violence is rapidly increasing. They desperately need support with basic necessities.

“The situation in the east of the country is escalating with settlements for internally displaced people growing by the day as separate conflicts continue involving armed groups,” said Concern’s DRC Country Director, Antoine Sagot-Priez.

...they now struggle to afford rent and living costs

Antoine Sagot-Priez - Concern’s DRC Country Director

“The people we provide humanitarian assistance to in Oicha have been affected by the conflict generated by the presence of an extremely violent armed group.

“One mother we are supporting said her husband and two of their eight children were killed during an attack at their village in North Kivu. That woman said their house was set on fire. They fled to Oicha city where they now struggle to afford rent and living costs," he said.

Christine is one of thousands of people displaced by conflict in the DRC receiving help from Concern. Photo: Concern Worldwide

The DRC already has Africa’s largest displaced population with 5.6 million people made homeless because of conflict inside its borders. In addition to that, it hosts half a million refugees from neighbouring countries.

The country is also facing a major food crisis affecting over 27 million people. An estimated 4.2 million people are acutely malnourished - more than half of whom are children under five years old.

The Concern team in DRC provides emergency distributions for families fleeing conflict in eastern DRC. Photo: Concern Worldwide

Concern is providing clean water points, food and cash assistance for essential supplies to tens of thousands of people - both displaced and host communities. We are also working to help improve water and hygiene systems, income generation and gender equality.

Our emergency response is partly funded by the FCDO’s multi-million pound Strategic Assistance for Emergency Response (SAFER) in DRC programme, in partnership with Mercy Corps, Norwegian Refugee Council and ACTED.

Concern's emergency response is partly funded by the FCDO’s multi-million-pound SAFER in DRC programme. Photo: Concern Worldwide

“The ongoing security crisis has also created conditions for other armed groups to be more proactive and therefore generate more violence in other territories, and it is important to keep humanitarian response capacities in those areas,” said Antoine Sagot-Priez.

The needs are still vast and right now we are implementing a rapid-response emergency programme...

Antoine Sagot-Priez - Concern’s DRC Country Director

“The needs are still vast and right now we are implementing a rapid-response emergency programme in North Kivu as we continue to respond to the needs and reduce the vulnerability of households affected by conflict and shocks in DRC.”

The DRC, which has a population of over 108 million people, is one of the poorest countries in the world despite being rich in natural resources.