War, Displacement, Famine: Man-made disasters

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Humanitarian Crisis in Democratic Republic of Congo

The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to grow and worsen. According to OCHA, in 2017 2.16 million people had to flee their homes, which was equivalent to 50 families of every hour everyday. The number has only continued to grow and now has reached over 4.4 million individuals displaced. This has resulted in over 13 million people to need protection and assistance. This has also lead to spread of disease, malnutrition, and lack of basic needs for citizens. Many nations are offering support whether this be in supplying what resources they can or assisting in camps for resettlement. This is a local crisis as well because many of the refugees from the DCR come here to Bowling Green through the International Center of Kentucky. As an intern there, I've been helping the center with resettlement of individuals and families. Many clients arrive here and need serious medical attention for injury, malnutrition, or disease. In the picture below, a child is having her arm measured during a malnutrition screening at a health clinic.   According to Unicef, the website the photo was taken from, over 400,000 children are malnourished and on the verge of death. The country is dealing with extreme violence, poverty and lack of health care. Many health centers are not functioning and when they are, they can not always provide the individual with the best treatment or the medicine needed for their injury or disease. However, with the violence and poverty in many regions, some people may not get any help that they need. While there are many organizations trying to assist by helping in relocation, supplying essential items, etc., there are still millions suffering.

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