DR Congo
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Photo: Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps
Our strategy
Respond to the immediate needs of displaced families in eastern Congo. Help them lessen the impact of the current crisis and set the stage for recovery.
The context
Fighting between the government and various rebel groups continues in eastern Congo, this after a 1998-2003 war that killed five million people. One in ten people is displaced in the province where Mercy Corps works. Congo ranks last on the 2011 UN Human Development Index, a measure of countries’ social and economic well-being. More than 70 percent of its population lives below the poverty line.
Our work
- Emergency response: Provided temporary shelter and emergency food to displaced families during spikes in rebel fighting
- Water: Rebuilding Goma’s municipal water system to serve 400,000 people and improving sanitation in overcrowded displacement camps
- Agriculture & Food: Helping farmers grow more with new production and disease prevention techniques
- Environment: Teaching women to build and use fuel-efficient stoves
- Economic opportunity: Creating jobs to build classrooms, health centers and community farms
All stories about DR Congo
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DR Congo: A day of peace in Congo September 21, 2010
Around the world, people took a moment to celebrate the International Day of Peace. The Mercy Corps team in Nyanzale, Democratic Republic of the Congo took time to celebrate the call for ceasefire and non-violence with the communities from displacement camps and Nyanzale town.
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DR Congo: In Congo, saving trees and lives April 23, 2010
Last November and December I was working with Mercy Corps in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I had the chance to make a photo essay on our work that the BBC is featuring on their website.
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DR Congo: Secretary Clinton visits the most dangerous place to be a woman August 11, 2009
While her husband's trip to North Korea to release two American women journalists has recently dominated headlines, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton takes on a mission that has the potential to save countless women's lives. As part of her seven nation tour of Africa, Mrs.
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DR Congo: Simple things can make the biggest difference in the DRC June 19, 2009
When asked by family or friends after a field visit, "How was your trip?" or "What's new in Africa?" I'm often guilty of giving oversimplified responses, though I realize our programs go way beyond "fine" and "interesting."
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DR Congo: A stove to save lives June 18, 2009
For 59-year-old Dafroza Baleberaho, building improved cookstoves isn’t just about preventing climate change, it’s about saving women’s lives.
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DR Congo: Congo's "conflict charcoal" June 17, 2009
Most people have heard of conflict or "blood" diamonds, but fewer may be aware of conflict charcoal. The charcoal trade in Congo's North Kivu Province is primarily controlled by a long-standing rebel group. Much of the charcoal in Goma is produced from trees in Virunga National Park.
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DR Congo: A handy gift for Dad June 8, 2009
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DR Congo: Helping Those With Nowhere Else to Go April 30, 2009
Several dozen women stand on jagged volcanic rock in the pouring rain. The drenched clothes they're wearing are among the only possessions they were able to salvage when fleeing burning homes and brutal violence. They've had to drink rainwater from dirty puddles just to survive.
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DR Congo: C'est Le Depart January 29, 2009
Today, I am leaving Goma to go back home — more than 35 hours of flights and layovers on my way back to Portland, and my family. And, over the course of the morning, I have heard one phrase over and over: "C'est le depart?"
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DR Congo: History's Traffic Jam January 28, 2009
This afternoon, on the way back to the office from Mugunga II Camp, our team was caught in massive gridlock almost as soon as we hit Goma's city limits. As we inched forward, everyone in our vehicle wondered what could be causing the snarl.