Federal Foreign Office increases humanitarian aid in Congo (15/11/07)
 

In view of the escalating violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Foreign Office has made available an additional 470,000 euros for humanitarian assistance for the victims.

 
 
Of this sum, 200,000 euros goes to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide care and shelter and some 270,000 euros goes to Germany's Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe. The aid activities supported are geared especially to the needs of women and girls, who in eastern Congo are the victims of sexual violence in particular.

In recent weeks the humanitarian situation in North Kivu in the east of the country has further deteriorated. Tens of thousands have fled their villages, since the beginning of the year their number has already reached 270,000.

Displacements on a massive scale, rapes and horrendous atrocities against the civilian population are a daily occurrence.

Commenting on this situation, Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued the following statement in Berlin:

"The reports from eastern Congo are profoundly shocking. Particularly the brutality shown towards women and young girls, even little children, absolutely horrifies me. I strongly urge all parties to the conflict to protect the civilian population from attack and allow the aid agencies unhindered access to those in need."

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the main focuses of German humanitarian assistance. This latest increase brings the Federal Foreign Office's humanitarian assistance in eastern Congo in 2007 up to around 3.16 million euros in total.

Source: Government of Germany

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