Caring for the Under-Fives

With thousands of people displaced and living in the overcrowded camps around Goma, there is a health crisis. The underlying food crisis is worsening, causing a high incidence of severe malnutrition. This affects the youngest ones the most, putting them at higher risk for sickness from cholera, typhoid, malaria, and the recent outbreak of M-pox. Thankfully, the under-fives programme was already started in these communities, and so in the face of these health challenges is a great benefit to the children. They come to the Care Point in the morning where they receive nutritional porridge and are stimulated by simple routines like play, rest and learning. There is very limited access to medical clinics around the camps. At the end of September 2024, the small Red Cross clinic in one of the camps closed, requiring people to travel 30 minutes by motorbike to receive care.