The European Union (EU) said it will provide the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with €60 million ($62.6 million) in humanitarian aid.
The European Commission announced this on Tuesday, following days of intense fighting in the east of the country.
The commission said the funding is meant to support displaced populations in and around Goma and those affected by conflicts and epidemics.
It said that after days of heavy fighting, the rebel militia M23 entered the strategically important provincial capital Goma in the early hours of Monday.
Goma is located in one of Congo’s most resource-rich areas and borders Rwanda.
“Inspite of the fact that humanitarian access remains a challenge for our partners due to the severity of the fighting, we will ensure that humanitarian funding will be disbursed without delay and aid will continue to be provided to those who need it the most,” said EU Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib.
Lahbib said the money will help finance shelter and camp management, access to clean water and latrines, basic food and education for conflict-affected children.
“This new funding brings the total EU humanitarian assistance to DRC to over €272 million since the beginning of 2023,” a press release said.
According to commission figures, 480,000 people have been displaced in the eastern region of North Kivu since October 2024 and 178,000 in neighbouring South Kivu.
The recently displaced populations come in addition to the 6.4 million people who were already displaced throughout the country.
The latest fighting has further aggravated the situation, the commission said, particularly for the approximately 800,000 people who were living around Goma in sites for displaced people.
“Within a couple of days, some of the camps that sheltered over 300,000 people last week, are now already completely empty because all their inhabitants have fled the frontlines,” the commission said.(dpa/NAN)
