We have a lot of emergencies at the moment in the North East Congo, as the LRA continue to attack villages, causing thousands of people to leave their homes and live in temporary camps. These people are officially classified as IDP`s (Internally Displaced People). This effectively means that they are refugees within the borders of their own country
These are the people who get caught in the crossfire and suffer the most in many cases. Hard to believe, but the UN estimate that 45,000 people die every month in the DR Congo. Most of these people die from preventable diseases, an indirect consequence of the chaos that surrounds them. The infrastructure can be so bad in eastern Congo, and the security so unstable that these people can be difficult to reach. People die from diahrroea in the Eastern Congo. Does that not make you angry? The war in Eastern Congo officialy ended 5 years ago but fighting continues, and the shattered economy and infrastructure have never recovered
Consequently many of Medairs programmes in the Congo are focusing on emergency response and trying to ensure that as many people as possible can recieve the medication they so desparately need. Since I arrived in Isiro, my role has focused on the control of the medical stock and making sure this kit is transported to our beneficiaries in the field. The medical kit is mostly transported by air. The roads are in a terrible state so they are not really an option...the planes get in and out pretty quickly.
We have medical supervisors who distribute the medicines. They are all Congolese, completely dedicated to what they do and pretty corageous guys too, putting themselvs in the middle of some pretty dangerous situations.
I hope to get to grips with the rest of my role over the next few weeks. Its been a pretty busy start, but the role has a hands on feel, and knowing what you are doing really does contribute to saving lives directly is a good thing. That why I came i guess, to serve the people of one of the most forgotten crises on planet earth.
These are the people who get caught in the crossfire and suffer the most in many cases. Hard to believe, but the UN estimate that 45,000 people die every month in the DR Congo. Most of these people die from preventable diseases, an indirect consequence of the chaos that surrounds them. The infrastructure can be so bad in eastern Congo, and the security so unstable that these people can be difficult to reach. People die from diahrroea in the Eastern Congo. Does that not make you angry? The war in Eastern Congo officialy ended 5 years ago but fighting continues, and the shattered economy and infrastructure have never recovered
Consequently many of Medairs programmes in the Congo are focusing on emergency response and trying to ensure that as many people as possible can recieve the medication they so desparately need. Since I arrived in Isiro, my role has focused on the control of the medical stock and making sure this kit is transported to our beneficiaries in the field. The medical kit is mostly transported by air. The roads are in a terrible state so they are not really an option...the planes get in and out pretty quickly.
We have medical supervisors who distribute the medicines. They are all Congolese, completely dedicated to what they do and pretty corageous guys too, putting themselvs in the middle of some pretty dangerous situations.
I hope to get to grips with the rest of my role over the next few weeks. Its been a pretty busy start, but the role has a hands on feel, and knowing what you are doing really does contribute to saving lives directly is a good thing. That why I came i guess, to serve the people of one of the most forgotten crises on planet earth.
In the picture you can see myself and my colleague Isaac delivering the medication to the airport
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