International Assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Why we are on site

The Democratic Republic of Congo suffers from its wealth and poverty in equal measure. Despite its numerous mineral resources, it is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. Although the civil war officially ended in 2002, violent conflicts continue, especially in the eastern part of the country. Armed conflicts, kidnappings and sexual violence force many people to flee the affected regions.

Many of them seek shelter in refugee camps, where they encounter poverty, lack of access to food and poor sanitary conditions. Adequate basic health care is lacking in large parts of the country. In combination with poor water quality, non-existent sanitary facilities and the lack of trained medical personnel, diseases such as measles, cholera and Ebola break out frequently.

What we achieve together with our partner organisations

Johanniter International Assistance has been active in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1995. Our focus is mainly on basic health care in the province of North Kivu, where we support rural health centres. These offer vaccinations, emergency care, therapeutic treatment of malnutrition, and basic medication. To reduce the high maternal mortality rate, we are setting up maternity wards. In addition to children, pregnant and nursing women, we support survivors of sexualized violence. They receive psychological support and are informed about their rights. During the recent Ebola outbreak in the region, we informed people about the virus and implemented important hygiene measures in public places. These measures are currently being continued as part of the COVID-19 prevention.