**The photo used is a screenshot taken from Aljazeera News Source
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been plagued by decades of war. Hands at Work has served in DRC communities devastated by this unrest since 2006. The north-eastern province around the city of Goma has continued to experience the constant threat of rebel attacks and war. Conflict between the Congolese army and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels has been raging for years. In the last few years, it has escalated, due to an intensifying effort from the M23 rebels, supported by the Rwandan government, to aggressively invade more and more territory in the Eastern DRC, which they managed to do, causing a widespread humanitarian crisis.
First, they took the small towns and communities and eventually moved to take the bigger cities before reaching Goma. Thousands were displaced from their homes, food prices soared, and hunger and disease were rampant. At the start of the war, our people from the Luhonga Community fled to a place called Bulengo, where there is a massive displacement camp. In late 2023, when the war got close to the community of Katembe, the people there fled to a place called Sake, but in February 2024, everyone from the displacement camp in Sake, as well as residents of Sake, fled to the Bulengo camp. Sadly, this camp had no space for them so they found another open piece of land where a new displacement camp called Sam-Sam was formed. The consistent threat of violence for civilians was and continues to be a devastating daily reality.
On Saturday 25th January at 5am, the rebels invaded Goma and took the airport and other key areas. Since then, they have infiltrated every part of Goma and even gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the Congolese troops to surrender or be killed. From there, all electricity and water were cut off and on Monday 27th January at 1pm, Hands at Work lost contact with our people in Goma. At that stage, Goma was being looted and under heavy gunfire.
Currently, we are unaware of what is happening in the displacement camps in Bulengo and Sam-Sam. Some reports indicate that people have fled to Rwanda or are trying to get into Uganda, but it remains unclear. With the little communication that Hands at Work leaders have had, we have encouraged our children, Primary Caregivers and Care Workers not to run, as they have a better chance of survival if they stay in the camps. However, we don’t know if they have stayed, or what the situation is like in the camps.
Pray for our children, Primary Caregivers and Care Workers, that they will not run and disappear. If they run, there is a chance that we will never see them again. Pray that they will stay and that God will protect them.
In Goma, Hands at Work has a local team on the ground who have been directly responding to this crisis, working around the clock to ensure the children and their families have a safe place to shelter and providing the essentials of daily meals and basic healthcare. Pray that they will be safe and that God will give them strength, courage and protection. Pray that the M23 rebels will have mercy in the displacement camps and that we can continue with feeding the most vulnerable children.
Lastly, please pray for the women in Goma. For years, rape and sexual abuse have been a regular weapon in Goma and we fear for the women as these foreign soldiers are flooding the city. Pray for God’s divine protection over their lives and that by God’s grace, they will be spared from this additional trauma.