Lutheran Church Leaders Call for Safe Humanitarian Access in DRC Conflict

LWF General Secretary Junge Assures Congolese Church of LWF’s Prayers and Support

In response to rebel fighters’ seizure of Goma, the major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, Lutheran church leaders are appealing for safe access for humanitarian aid agencies into the country and city.

Rebels entered the capital of the North Kivu province amidst heavy shelling, sending  thousands of residents fleeing their homes and internally displaced people’s camps toward both the neighboring Rwandan and Ugandan borders.

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge expressed both sadness and concern on hearing that thousands of people “are bereft of peace and no longer know anything called home even in a country they call home.”

In a letter to Presiding Bishop René Mwamba Sumaili of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo (EELCO), Junge assured the LWF member church and the people of DRC of prayers from the entire LWF family.

Junge appealed to Lutherans everywhere to pray for all those who risk their lives in order to care for the most vulnerable and those who need humanitarian assistance amidst this violent conflict. He expressed “solidarity with all those struggling for peace and justice in the country and hoped that the violence is brought to an end soon.”

Bishop Sumaili confirmed that many residents are fleeing Goma and many others have been killed or injured. He said it has been difficult to reach the people affected due to road blocks, and expressed concern that the humanitarian situation could worsen as more people become displaced.

The volatile security situation is hampering access into Goma. The LWF and EELCO emphasized the need for humanitarian workers in the city to be able to safely reach those caught in the conflict.

The LWF Department for World Service (DWS) as one of the largest humanitarian relief agencies manages a number of refugee camps across East and Central Africa, and is currently working in the only settlement where recent refugees from DRC are arriving into Uganda, said DWS director Rev. Eberhard Hitzler.

The DWS programs in Uganda and DRC are preparing to help people who have been displaced in the conflict, Hitzler said. Additional staff have been deployed from the Nairobi-based Regional Emergency Hub to assist with assessments and support the scaling-up of humanitarian efforts.

DWS started working in DRC in 1994 in response to a massive influx of people fleeing the Rwandan genocide. The LWF staff in Goma work alongside EELCO and member organizations of ACT Alliance including Norwegian Church Aid, Christian Aid and FinnChurch Aid.

Bishop Sumaili said he was seeking the “best way to work together” with the staff from these organizations.

Hitzler noted that many of those living in Goma rely on petty trade and do not keep stocks of food. He said he had received reports that most people woke up very early on Wednesday (today) morning searching for food and that prices had increased sharply.

Over the next days and weeks, the availability of clean water for affected populations will also be a serious problem if an outbreak of disease is to be avoided. As DWS focuses on livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene related activities in DRC, they are well placed to respond to the needs of the people in DRC but aid workers from all agencies need to be safe to be able to carry out their work, Hitzler added. (582 words)

(By Melany Markham, Nairobi based LWF regional communications consultant.)