By Christoph Lubczyk | Project Leader
Worrying, even dramatic, conditions prevail
in the refugee camps in Burundi, East Africa.
The aid organization action medeor is currently
drawing attention to this. In the neighboring
Democratic Republic of Congo, fierce fighting is
taking place between militarily organized rebel
groups – including the Alliance Fleuve Congo
(AFC), under whose umbrella the largest group,
M23, supported by Rwanda, operates – and the
Congolese army.
People flee violence in the DRC
Tens of thousands of people have fled across the
border into Burundi in recent weeks to escape the
escalating violence. "They live there in makeshift
camps or simply scattered on the streets," reports
Emmanuel, who is currently on site for the partner
organization of Aktion Deutschland Hilft, action
medeor, and has visited several refugee camps in the
Burundian-Congolese border region.
He has been coordinating humanitarian aid projects
in the region for many years. But the current
conditions are also causing him great concern. "Among
the refugees are many women with their children. Many
have fled the combat zones in the Democratic Republic
of Congo, often walking several hundred kilometers.
Some pregnant women have also fled, some giving birth
on the way. I can hardly imagine the hardships they
endured to make it to Burundi," Emmanuel describes.
17 Toilets for 6,000 People
But the next challenge awaits the people in the refugee
camps, as the conditions Emmanuel has seen there
are alarming. "There are currently 48,000 refugees
living around the city, and the number is constantly
increasing," Emmanuel reports. "The local structures
here are unprepared for the sudden influx of people and
are completely overwhelmed. In the hastily set up
makeshift camps, there is insufficient access to water,
hardly any sanitation facilities, and no medical care,"
he says.
"I was in a refugee camp where there were only 17 toilets
for 6,000 people. Cholera is spreading; children are dying
from malnutrition, malaria, and infections. Many people are
sleeping unprotected on the streets or crowded into tents,
with up to 20 people per six square meters."
Medical aid for refugees launched
Our alliance organization action medeor has already begun
initiating initial relief measures. "We will now ensure that
medical care improves. A mobile clinic has already begun
providing care to the people. But we have realized that we
need to increase the available medications, as they are not
enough to treat everyone," Emmanuel explains the initial steps
and challenges. "In the refugee camps, we will now not only
provide medical care, but also distribute hygiene kits and
mosquito nets, and provide psychological support to the
traumatized people," he announces.
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