Staff Account: Elias works with Save the Children in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). During the recent escalation of conflict, he was in Goma, but was able to leave for Bukavu, South Kivu, which is separated from Goma by Lake Kivu.
When the fighting reached Bukavu, he was forced to hide in his home with his family. Here, Elias shares his experience:
Last weekend, Bukavu was engulfed in fighting. On Friday afternoon, after we had eaten, everything changed. We received information that a nearby airport had been taken. Thankfully, I had stocked up my house with foods and some essentials – including medicine and water - knowing that hibernation was likely to be our only option if the town was attacked.
We hid in a slightly safer room, where my wife, my two young children and I laid on the floor. The children, too small to understand, just wanted to watch TV in the living room, but we couldn't let them go in there as the room was too exposed with its windows looking out onto the street.
A few minutes later, gunfire erupted in the city centre. I saw my wife trembling-it was the first time she'd experienced such terror. I was scared too, but I tried not to show anything so as not to panic my family. The shots rang out just a few metres from our house. It was only a few hours, but it seemed like an eternity.
On Saturday, I was very upset to learn that it was actually some children who had picked up guns that had been left behind by the armed men, and had been firing them, causing the death of several people.
The situation improved on Sunday, when the fighting largely stopped. From the window, I saw a few people moving around. It took me more than four hours to finally get out and see what was going in the town. Everything was at a standstill, people were desperately looking for food.
We still don't know the extent of the loss of life, but we know many children have witnessed horror and are now traumatised, and some have lost their lives. Looting in the city is exacerbating the crisis. Many families endured extreme suffering in those few days.
No child should have to live through such a situation! It is essential that the international community invests more in the protection of children here in DRC - so that they do not suffer war and receive the essential support they desperately need.
Save the Children started working in eastern DRC in 1994, and is currently working with 13 local partners, as well as international partners and government authorities, to deliver critical health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, child protection and education support to children and their families.
Read more on what's happening in DRC, Save the Children's work and how you can help.
For further enquiries please contact:
- Katharina Schroeder Katharina.schroeder@savethechildren.org
- Kunle Olawoyin Kunle.olawoyin@savethechildren.org
- Our media out-of-hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409
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