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World Vision plans to begin distributions today of family relief kits--including items like blankets, shelter materials, children's clothing and soap--to more than 10,000 families.
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The agency plans to reach as many as 25,000 families as soon as security conditions allow, as well as address health, sanitation and protection needs. The agency's operations will concentrate in Shasha, Minova, Rutshuru and Goma. Preliminary information indicates an initial response plan budget of close to $3 million.
"We're in the midst of assessing suitable temporary settlement sites for people who are in urgent need of food and non-food items, shelter, water and sanitation," said World Vision aid worker Michelle Rice.
"However, the challenge of security and access continues to make it difficult to determine the numbers and whereabouts of affected people," Rice continued.
World Vision's assessment team visited Shasha and Bulengo IDP camps yesterday, discovering inadequate shelter, ramant cases of rape against women, and acute need for food and other necessities. In Shasha, people were sheltering under dried banana leaves, which did little to keep them dry in the current rainy season. Women at Shasha reported being raped while collecting firewood in the nearby hills.
"We learned of one shocking case in which armed men raped three women from the same family--an elderly grandmother, her daughter, and her granddaughter," described Rice.
With tens of thousands of people moving between various camps and their homes, keeping track of displaced civilians and their precise needs is proving difficult for aid workers. Many of the recently displaced families were already living in temporary shelters before the latest outbreak of fighting.
"If the security situation remains stable, we expect to expand distributions this week," said Rice, "The current ceasefire must be held by all sides if we are to respond to the humanitarian crisis here. Without some semblance of stability, relief efforts are extremely difficult."
As African leaders meet in Nairobi tomorrow for an emergency summit, World Vision is calling for the following actions to be taken:
Donations are urgently needed. The public can help by visiting www.worldvision.org or calling 1.888.56.CHILD.
Interviews can be arranged with World Vision staff on the scene as well as World Vision policy experts. High-quality digital photos and video b-roll are available. Please contact Rachel Wolff at 253.394.2214 or [email protected].
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit worldvision.org/press.
Notes to Editor:
-- Agency appealing for $2.8 million globally to respond to increased needs in eastern DRC
SOURCE World Vision
