Today, Malteser International has started the targeted identification of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who in recent weeks have been the victims of traumatic ex-periences in Eastern DR Congo.
“Raped women, people who have been forced to witness massacre or execution, and families who have been violently torn apart it is important that these people are able to have a contact person available to them, so that they can process their terrible experiences and be able to better endure their current situation,” says Dennis Mueller, Congo expert at Malteser International.
Malteser International staff members, who have received special psychological training, will visit the camps and will specifically focus their attentions on seeking out trauma patients. For further care, the patients will be brought to the SOSAME Centre, one of the specialist trauma treatment clinics in Bukavu.
Since the renewal of the conflict, 34 people have already been referred to the care centre supported by Malteser International. Given this level of need, Dennis Mueller expects that the visits to the camps will produce a similar number of new patients.
“We hope to be able to help as many of these people as possible,” he says.
In addition to this psychological and psychosocial support, Malteser International is assisting the internally displaced persons with food distributions. In January, the organization will begin the second food distribution to over 30,000 internally displaced persons. A total of 513 tons of flour, rice, vegetables, oil and salt will be distributed to the people which is enough to keep them from starvation for another month. The food supplies will be financed through the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP).
In order to build on the relief efforts in Eastern Congo, Malteser International is in urgent need of donations. Donate to support the relief efforts.
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