by: DIASPORE PER LA PACE | data 24/06/2025
In Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the population is experiencing a humanitarian crisis of dramatic proportions: after an armed conflict in February 2025, the city has remained suspended in a state of permanent uncertainty and insecurity, with frequent armed clashes, kidnappings, and violence that prevent any safe movement.
The conflict in North and South Kivu has generated an unprecedented internal exodus: during the first months of the year, more than 10,000 displaced people have found precarious refuge around Bukavu, where services are almost non-existent. Such a serious situation has prompted Doctors Without Borders to declare a state of humanitarian and health emergency.
Local hospitals, already understaffed and lacking essential medicines, are collapsing in the face of hundreds of combat injuries and communicable diseases; the risk of cholera and malaria epidemics is growing, while food supplies are running out in the face of food insecurity affecting almost 28 million people across the country.
An urgent coordinated intervention is needed to ensure drinking water, shelters, mobile medical assistance, and child protection. We, as associations, together with our partners in Congo, would like to lend a hand to this situation. We need your support to raise 3,000 euros.
With your help, we will be able to distribute portable filters to the most vulnerable families, giving them the opportunity to drink safe water and protect themselves from diseases caused by contaminated water. In addition to water, we want to donate hygiene kits: soap, buckets, and sanitary pads to help many people maintain adequate sanitary conditions and prevent infections that can become dangerous.
We want to bring them essential food supplements and distribute fortified flour to families who struggle every day against hunger. With your support, we will also be able to deliver basic foods like rice, to provide concrete relief to those living in conditions of extreme fragility.
We believe in the strength of the community. For this reason, we will train 10 community relays: local people who will learn fundamental hygiene and nutrition practices. They will pass on this knowledge to nearby families, thus helping the community grow stronger and build a healthier and more autonomous future.
If thanks to your generosity we manage to exceed our initial goal, we will be able to extend our intervention to many more people. Every additional donation will allow us to reach and support an increasing number of families who today live in great difficulty.
If, thanks to your generosity, we manage to raise 3,000 euros or more, we will be able to compete for a prize from the IOM call and double the amount raised. This would allow us to reach other families with the distribution of water filters, hygiene kits, and food.
We are Diaspora for Peace, an Italy-based organization composed of members of the diaspora committed to conflict prevention and humanitarian aid. We were born from the belief that, through solidarity, we can build bridges between Europe and Africa. Thanks to established relationships with Italian institutions and local realities in Congo, we can act and facilitate logistics, aid distribution, and the involvement of key actors on the ground. Furthermore, the presence of members of Congolese origin within the organization allows direct contact with local communities, strengthening the effectiveness of awareness activities and ensuring a lasting impact.
COCIT RDC ASP "Community of Congolese Rdc in Italy"
Founded in 2021 by a group of Congolese friends residing in Italy, it works to promote the culture of the Democratic Republic of Congo, foster solidarity among Congolese, especially the role of women, and develop progress projects in the country.
The association will play a central role in promoting and supporting humanitarian activities, through an integrated action of communication, awareness, and territorial mobilization.
Kitumani Humanitarian Assistance Association ASBL
Based in Congo, this humanitarian organization is dedicated to building a more inclusive Congolese society, ensuring the right to health for all. It facilitates access to medical care for vulnerable people, supports victims of violence, and promotes solidarity in the community.
Il progetto mira a rispondere ai bisogni urgenti delle comunità vulnerabili del Kivu, affrontando le problematiche legate all’accesso all’acqua potabile, all’igiene e alla sicurezza alimentare. L'iniziativa combina la distribuzione di risorse essenziali con attività di sensibilizzazione per promuovere pratiche sostenibili e migliorare le condizioni di vita della popolazione. Le attività previste includono: - la distribuzione di filtri portatili per l’acqua alle famiglie più vulnerabili per garantire un approvvigionamento sicuro di acqua potabile, che possa ridurre i rischi di malattie legate all’acqua contaminata - l’organizzazione di sessioni di sensibilizzazione sull’igiene per ridurre i rischi di infezioni legate all’acqua contaminata e la distribuzione di kit igienici contenenti sapone, secchielli e assorbenti per migliorare le condizioni sanitarie. Per contrastare la malnutrizione, il progetto prevede la fornitura di integratori alimentari a bambini e donne in gravidanza e allattamento, la distribuzione di farina fortificata a famiglie vulnerabili e la sensibilizzazione sulle corrette pratiche nutrizionali per promuovere abitudini alimentari sane. Saranno inoltre distribuiti prodotti alimentari di base come il riso per sostenere le comunità più bisognose. Per garantire un impatto sostenibile a lungo termine, saranno formati 10 relè comunitari incaricati di diffondere messaggi chiave sulla salute, l’igiene e la nutrizione all'interno delle comunità locali. L'associazione Diaspore per la Pace si occuperà dell’acquisto dei beni in Italia, mentre il partner locale Kitumaini sarà responsabile del trasporto e della distribuzione degli aiuti in Congo, assicurando la corretta implementazione del progetto sul territorio.
