Received on May 31, 2021 at the Prime Minister’s Office, a delegation from the Congolese Banking Association (ACB) presented a check for USD 500,000 to Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge, intended to help the affected populations of Goma, a city located in the east of the country, following the enormous human and material damage caused by the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano.
Estimates available to date point to around 450,000 people having fled the city and in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Nearly 120,000 of them arrived in the nearby town of Sake, while around 8,000 people crossed the border into Rwanda.
Most of the displaced are currently staying with host families, while others have found shelter in overcrowded churches and schools. People in urgent need of housing and basic necessities such as mattresses, blankets and kitchenware sets.
In an appeal issued on May 29, a week after the tragedy, President Félix Tshisekedi called on the affected populations not to “despair”.