TCL#8 Fundraiser: Humanitarian crisis in Eastern Congo

While we celebrate creativity in this year’s sunny April edition of The Creative Lab, we want to take this moment to also give some attention to the ongoing conflict and violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Massacres, burned villages and mass rapes: almost daily reports emerge of the violence between rebel groups and the government army, where civilians are paying the highest price. According to the UN, in February alone 300,000 people have fled, topping the already 7 million refugees and internally displaced, and the death toll in recent years runs into the hundreds of thousands. M23 is the largest rebel group that is trying to gain control of the region’s precious resources and after last December’s elections, a new round of violence has began. Almost 700,000 people fled to the city Goma, in the province North-Kivu, residing in large refugee camps. As of this moment, M23 has surrounded the city of Goma and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis is unfolding under our eyes.

But the news isn't making the international front pages for a long time. The complexity and duration of the conflict make it difficult to keep paying attention to it, while the region is highly affecting the rest of the world: first and foremost because of the many lives that are lost, threatened and unheard, but also because the regions raw materials such as cobalt and gold which are needed for the sustainable energy transition.

Director Tinkeke Ceelen of Stichting Vluchteling is currently in Goma, and she explains how help is tremendously falling short. About 20 percent of the people who urgently need help get it, which means that 80 percent doesn’t. Many people do not have access to food and are often not being fed at all. Moreover, there is hardly any health care and very few sanitation facilities.

Besides Gaza and Ukraine, Stichting Vluchteling is urgently asking your attention. 26 million people are dependent on the help of organizations such as Stichting Vluchteling and UNHCR. They have now opened Giro999 to provide jerrycans, drinking water, medical care, tents and soap. The money also goes to causes such as education for displaced youth, victims of sexual gender violence and juridical support. Read more about it on the website of Stichting Vluchteling: https://www.vluchteling.nl/waar-we-werken/afrika/dr-congo

Please help us raise money for Eastern Congo and support Stichting Vluchteling in the work they do. It is important. We’ll donate the money directly to Giro555.

Thank you for your support.

With Love,

Marijn Stouthamer, Roos Koks & Eva Borro (team TCL) in collaboration with Alex Janssen.