“Without clean water, more people will perish.” Tearfund launches emergency appeal in response to humanitarian catastrophe in the DRC

Tearfund has launched an emergency appeal to provide water, hygiene kits and cash for other basic necessities. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to be affected by the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s Country Director for the DRC says:

“As violence, unrest and instability continues in the DRC the needs our staff and partners are seeing are unprecedented. To survive, people urgently need more help, and an end to the conflict. Tearfund is prioritising providing water and sanitation needs.

“Without clean water more people will perish, not only from thirst, but also from preventable diseases spread through poor hygiene. For those who have fled conflict and are now sheltering in schools and churches, access to life-giving water is allowing people some basic dignity and hope amidst the heartbreaking humanitarian catastrophe in eastern DRC.”

Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and makeshift camps. An estimated 3,000 people have been killed and 2,800 injured due to the sharp increase in violence in Goma and its surrounding areas since January. This puts the most vulnerable at even further risk, particularly women, children, and the elderly, who are now living in overcrowded and precarious conditions with limited access to food, water, and essential services.

Rose, a mother of seven, has sought refuge at a school alongside hundreds of other displaced families. This is the fourth time in three years that she and her children have been forced to flee conflict. Education at the school, where they have found shelter, has also been disrupted due to the ongoing conflict.

Rose said “I was living in a camp before the attacks but we had to leave. I’m now sheltering in a classroom with my family but there are so many of us here. I’m scared for the future but now that we have somewhere to shelter ourselves and some water to drink, I have hope we can survive.”

Hebdavi Kyeya, Tearfund’s Regional Director for East and Central Africa said: “Makeshift camps where around half a million internally displaced people had been living, are now being dismantled and people are being encouraged to either find a place to live in the city of Goma or return to their homes in other parts of the country. But with so much ongoing instability and uncertainty, people are understandably anxious and do not necessarily have the means or courage to move again. Tearfund’s work in other parts of the DRC continues and we are ready to support people who do decide to return to other regions, but it is essential that peace and stability are secured for both the DRC and the wider region.”

To donate to Tearfund’s appeal please visit: tearfund.org/campaigns/democratic-republic-of-congo-emergency-appeal

For further information or interview requests: email Maddie Gordon at media@tearfund.org**. For urgent out of hours media enquiries please call 07929 339813.**

Notes to editors:

• Since early January 2025, hundreds of thousands of people in the DRC have had to flee their homes because of the escalating conflict.
• An estimated 3,000 people have been killed and 2,800 injured in recent fighting in and around Goma since the ongoing conflict escalated.
• Since the conflict in DRC began, more than 20 million people have required humanitarian assistance.
• Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visitwww.tearfund.org.