A total of 1,375 internally displaced households in the far north received assistance from the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Denis Mukwege.
Indeed, the Panzi Foundation launched on Sunday, July 30, an operation to assist displaced people who fled the massacres of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF-Nalu), which remains to this day an active terrorist group in the territory of Beni , in North Kivu for three decades.
This assistance from the Panzi Foundation in Beni is the second of its kind in the province of North Kivu during this month of July. It comes after assistance offered to displaced people from Goma, who fled the rebellion of the March 23 Movement (M23) in the territories of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo. Here, 3915 households were served.
This action made it possible to provide food and assistance to 1,175 households living in Beni Ville and 200 living in Mbau.
Mrs. Estimée Modibawagoto Lekopole, head of office of the sub-division of humanitarian actions and national solidarity in the Great North-Kivu considers that this assistance comes at the right time.
Unlike Beni-Ville, which guarantees a minimum of security to the affected population, the city of Oïcha and its surroundings are still the target of permanent terrorist attacks.
Dr. Mukwege, through the Panzi Foundation aims to restore dignity to the woman who is the victim of human barbarism, her gesture is an act of unparalleled compassion.
1375 families each received a batch of food consisting of 25kg of corn flour, 25kg of rice, 12.5kg of beans, 7 sachets of salt and 5 liters of vegetable oil and a hygiene kit consisting of a packet of sanitary napkins , 1 yard of loincloth, 1 pair of slippers, 4 women’s underwear and a box of toothpaste with toothbrush.
Mrs. Catherine is clear when she expresses her satisfaction: “The war came to destroy us in our environment, the forest. It came with killings against us pygmies and even the Bantu. We didn’t have the strength to defend ourselves. We currently live in the village, because we have been dislodged from our natural place of life. We are now in the village and are running out of food. I ask the higher authorities to continue to support us in our needs as displaced persons. I also ask for peace because we lived at home in our fields without any problem. Thank you for the meal because when we receive, we lessen the hunger we have a little, but that’s not the end. Thank you for the great work that Dr MUKWEGE provided for us”, she insisted.
Ms. Masika, met in Mbau, explains her situation: “I respond to the name of Masika, I am nande. I am the mother of seven children, with whom we live a life of suffering. I lived at home in the fields. My husband died of his throat slit by the ADF and out of fear, I left the place, abandoning our cocoa fields. I currently live by working for others in the fields in order to feed my children. I say thank you to Dr. Mukwege and the Panzi Foundation. I need peace to finally go home so that I can support my children”.
It should be noted that Dr. Mukwege is campaigning for the establishment of transitional justice for lasting peace in the DRC.
In Beni-ville, the distribution ceremony was inaugurated by Colonel Jacob Nyofondo who launched the kick-off. He thanked the Panzi Foundation and especially Dr. Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize, who thought of sending a team to come to the aid of the beneficiaries. This comes some time after a sit-in organized by the victims at the town hall of Beni to show their anger at the suffering.
In Beni territory, Colonel Euta Omeonga Charles handed over the symbolic dignity kit to launch the distribution at the Mbau sector office.
The next distributions will take place in the southern part of South Kivu to respond to the cries of women fleeing abuses in the highlands of South Kivu.
This intervention is supported by the Episcopal Conference of Italy.
Writing