War-torn eastern-DRC is facing ongoing crises and humanitarian needs. This evening humanitarian workers from Congo will share their experiences on working there. How do you operate in such a complex situation? What are the challenges and opportunities?
Conflict has been present in eastern-DRC for decades, threatening livelihoods with rebellion, displacement and sexual violence. Millions of people have been displaced over the past years, of which some are being registered in official camps. Others have found hostage in host communities or improvised sites. There is a lack of access to proper healthcare, food, water- and sanitation facilities.
How do humanitarian aid workers deal with this complex situation and the constant threat of emergencies? How to reach out to displaced people, and how to give hope to people who lost their families? During an interactive panel conversation they will discuss this with each other and with the audience.
About this Program
This program is organized by Doctors without Borders, Oxfam Novib and Cordaid. With this program they give follow-up to the Dutch Humanitarian Summit of February 2015, during which ten Dutch aid organisations came together to talk about the bottlenecks in humanitarian aid.
About the Speakers
Koen Vlassenroot is Professor Political Science en director of the Conflict Research Group at the University of Ghent. He has published numerous articles and book contributions on conflict, rebels and government in eastern Congo .
Bisschop Massimango Katanda Zacharie is Congolese and is the chairman of BOAD (Banque Quest Africaine de Développement) and of Act Alliance, a coalition of 137 churches and faith-based organisations working together in over 100 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people.
Augustin Gang Karume is Congolese and is the national coordinator of Rebuild Hope for Africa a development organisation that focusses especially on DR Congo.
Renate Sinke is project coordinator for Doctors without Borders in DR Congo.
Moderator is Ruud Huurman (media Coordinator Oxfam Novib).