ACT members Ready to Help, but Safety Worries Linger

Date: January 22, 2002

Security concerns remain high for the safety of the hundreds of thousands of Congolese making their way back to Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the wake of the volcanic eruptions that devastated much of Goma and villages between the city and Mount Nyirogongo.

Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a member of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, reports that conditions remain uncertain and that no official report has been released stating that the volcano no longer poses a threat to the population. However, in a verbal briefing during a meeting held by the UN's Office of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), experts said that they felt that the volcano would not erupt again and that gas emissions from the volcano and fissures in the soil did not pose a health risk to the population.

ACT member Christian Aid (CAID) reports from Goma that although the ground in still very unstable in the city, people are returning despite the dangers. Speaking for CAID, Judith Melby said that this is causing problems for aid workers. "People have to be registered, aid agencies need to know where people are and what they need. If there were more tremors or eruptions here in Goma, then we don't know whether people will flee over the border again."

Having just returned from Goma in DRC, Country Representative for LWF in Rwanda, Anne Masterson, said that the lava flow had divided the city into two sections. There was a smaller section, still accessible by road and a much bigger section that could only be reached by barge or by carefully walking across the solidified lava. Masterson also said that the aftershocks and tremors in the city of Goma were very strong.

Masterson reports that most of the refugees who fled the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo on January 17 have now returned, or are making their way back to Goma. Although difficult to estimate exact figures, it is believed that there are still between 17,000 and 20,000 people seeking shelter in Rwanda. LWF and its partner, Anglican Church in Rwanda (EER) are distributing food and non-food items at two of the three locations established by the Rwandan authorities where people can receive aid - at one site in Ruhengeri and one of the two camps set up in Gisenyi. Meanwhile, LWF has also upgraded its warehousing facilities to a capacity of 12,000 metric tons. Reserve food and non-food items are stored in the warehouses that are managed by LWF on behalf of UNICEF and the UN's World food Program (WFP). LWF is also in the process of finalizing a site from which food can be sent to Goma.

Three of the ACT members are to take a barge to the larger, less accessible section of Goma on January 23 to assess the situation there. Meanwhile, LWF has identified a barge belonging to the Baptist Church in Goma for possible use to distribute food and aid to the people of that section of the city. At this stage, aid can only be delivered by barge. They will know by then whether the barge, which needs repairs, can be used or not.

Authorities in Goma have met with the International NGO's (including ACT members) to discuss the five locations they have set aside as food and non-food distribution points. Two of these are located in the smaller section of Goma that is accessible by road. The remaining three will have to be reached by barge at this stage. ACT members are assessing the sites and will be able to identify the areas from which they will be able to operate most effectively.

The authorities have also set aside several resettlement areas near Goma - two of which are relatively close to the volcano. LWF said that these sites would have to be assessed as well in terms of the immediate and long-term resettlement needs of the people.

It is still extremely difficult to get food to the Goma area. The Goma airport was partially destroyed by the lava flow. The authorities and the UN are however busy assessing whether an access road can be built across the solidified lava. Masterson said that once a road was built, it would mean that the city of Goma would be more accessible. There is a smaller airport near Bukavu, south of Kivu, but the road is in disrepair.

Masterson said that all assistance, even if routed through Rwanda, would benefit only the people of Goma directly affected by the volcanic eruption and the subsequent devastation and havoc it wreaked. She said that it was crucial to prioritize at this stage - and if the vast majority of people were in Goma, then their priority as a relief agency lay there. Due to the drastic changes in the situation the region, the ACT Coordinating Office is encouraging its members in DRC and Rwanda to coordinate their response. Click here to learn how to help through UMCOR.

Source: Action by Churches Together, http://www.act-intl.org.

Photos: Top-- Refugees receive nonfood items from ACT members in Goma. Bottom-- The main road into Goma has been destroyed by lava. Credit: Thomas van Kampen, ACT International/LWF, Goma, D.R. Congo, January 2002.