Hospitals overwhelmed in DR Congo, food running out: Goma faces ‘devastation’
January 30, 2025
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo – Hospitals in the eastern Congolese city of Goma are overwhelmed with patients as food supplies dwindle, leaving the population facing “devastation,” aid workers said Monday.
The crisis was sparked by the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo on Saturday, which sent lava flowing towards the city of two million people. Thousands fled their homes as the volcano spewed ash and smoke into the air.
“The situation in Goma is dire,” said Jean-Pierre Bastos, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the city. “Hospitals are overflowing with injured people, and food is running out.”
Bastos said that the ICRC had set up a field hospital to help treat the wounded, but that the demand for medical care was overwhelming.
“We are seeing people with severe burns, broken bones, and other injuries,” said Bastos. “The staff is working around the clock, but we are struggling to keep up.”
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said that it was distributing food to people in Goma, but that the supplies were limited.
“We are doing everything we can to get food to people in need,” said Peter Smerdon, the WFP’s country director in the DRC. “But the needs are огромный, and we are running out of time.”
Smerdon said that the WFP was appealing for international assistance to help provide food, water, and other essential supplies to the people of Goma.
“This is a major humanitarian crisis,” said Smerdon. “We need the world’s help to avert a catastrophe.”
The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo is the latest in a series of natural disasters to hit the DRC in recent years. The country is also struggling with a major Ebola outbreak, and has been ravaged by conflict for decades.
The humanitarian crisis in Goma is a reminder of the urgent need to provide assistance to the people of the DRC. The international community must act now to avert a catastrophe.
Hospitals overwhelmed in DR Congo, food running out: Goma faces ‘devastation’
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