'Lifesaving' £250K aid pledged for DR Congo crisis

The National

3 days ago

The Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) is a £1 million annual Scottish Government fund, administered by the Disasters Emergency Committee and eight partner charities, providing rapid aid in overseas crises caused by disaster, disease, or conflict.
Charities Oxfam Scotland and Tearfund have welcomed the move, calling the funds 'lifesaving' as residents of the DRC face forced displacement, hunger, violence and insecurity.
The £250,000 provided through the HEF will be distributed to both organisations, and through local partners, to support emergency relief efforts across eastern DRC – helping families pay for essentials such as food, fuel, shelter or hygiene items, as well as accessing urgent medical care, trauma services and safe transport.
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External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: 'The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on a scale we can hardly imagine here in Scotland.
'Successive waves of violence are claiming the lives of civilians, including children, with millions forced to flee to temporary accommodation where conditions are deteriorating.
'The situation is being worsened by the scaling back of humanitarian assistance by other international donors.
'While our funding may only make a small impact in the face of such overwhelming need, we are determined to stand behind our values and Scotland's long and proud history of responding to humanitarian crises around the world.'
Conflict in the region has forced over seven million people from their homes, with many facing hunger, illness, and repeated trauma – particularly women and children.
In the east, renewed violence since January has displaced hundreds of thousands, leaving many without food, water, or shelter. The charity described the situation in the DRC as one of 'the world's most urgent and complex crises'.
Oxfam, supported by £125,000 from the Scottish Government's Humanitarian Emergency Fund, will assist 3,000 people in eastern DRC. This includes direct cash transfers to 500 households and support for 200 survivors of sexual violence, helping them access urgent medical and trauma care.
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Climate change, closed banks, and deforestation worsen conditions, while cuts in global aid – like the $900 million suspended by the US – have severely impacted relief efforts. Oxfam's local partner SOPROP highlights that demand far outnumbers resources.
The Scottish Government's support has been labelled a 'critical' intervention in a crisis that receives little international attention. By providing flexible emergency funds, the HEF will help families to make their own choices in crisis.
Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam Scotland's Country Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said: 'Every day, our partners and colleagues are meeting mothers who've walked for miles with nothing but their children in their arms, desperately searching for safety.
'They've lost everything: their homes, their loved ones, their hope of a normal life. The scale of human suffering here is staggering.
'The recent cuts to humanitarian funding have been devastating. We've had to make impossible choices about who gets clean water, medicine, or even a place to sleep.
'That's why support from the Scottish Government is so vital. With our local partner, it's helping us reach people who would otherwise be left with nothing.
'But with millions still in desperate need, we urgently need other governments and donors to follow Scotland's lead. Now is the time to step up, not step back.'
Testimony from a DRC resident
Tearfund shared Aimee's story, a Congolese woman who has faced displacement numerous times as a result of the ongoing conflict.
The Malehe resident (below) and her mother have endured years of suffering as a consequence of the violence.
(Image: EAC Goma/Tearfund)'My name is Aimee, and I am a resident of Malehe. I am originally from here. Two years ago, we fled to Kimashini, and arrived at a camp for displaced people where we stayed for two years. A few weeks ago, conflict escalated and we were asked to return home to Malehe", she told the charity.
She continued: "Once back in Malehe with my children, I found that our house had been destroyed. So, we built a hut, which is where we live now, in very poor conditions, particularly in terms of food.
"We are asking for help: if I could find a little money, I could sell products, and rebuild my house. I would love to rebuild a house like the one I had before. Please, help us, we are starving.
"Here, there are schools, but our children don't study, because we no longer have the means to pay for uniforms and notebooks. We really need help."
Aimee highlighted the financial difficulties faced by many in the region, noting that whilst the hospitals still stand, the cost of care and treatment is too high.
She added: "Pregnant women give birth on the bare ground.
"We, the mothers, are really suffering. We really don't know what to do anymore."