Pope Francis has declared February 23rd day of fasting and prayer for crisis-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
AVSI works in both Countries with mostly emergency projects to help refugees.
AVSI in South Sudan
Since 2013, South Sudan has suffered an ongoing conflict which has left millions of displaced persons and refugees. Political instability, famine, and frequent and constant flooding are factors that contribute to what has been called the most serious current food crisis on the planet. AVSI is working to aid people by way of nutritional, health care, educational and food security projects, trying to promote development against a background of continuous emergency.
AVSI in DR Congo
4.5 million displaced in Congo ‘struggling to survive,’ - said Chiara Nava, AVSI South Sudan and RD Congo desk officer, in a recent interview to Crux.
An intracommunity conflict between Pygmy and Bantu communities has affected Tanganyika Province for several years. The violence has escalated in recent months, forcing hundreds of thousands of people in Tanganyika, South Kivu and Maniema Provinces to flee their villages.
The Unicef RRMP program (Rapid Response to Poupulations Mouvements) delivers an integrated assistance (NFI-Wash-Health and Education) to vulnerable populations affected by displacements and returns—including host families. Over the period from December 2017 to January 2018, the RRMP consortium AVSI-IRC has provided assistance to 6349 beneficiaries on health, 5210 on Wash and 2251 on Education in South Kivu province; 8561 beneficiaries received health assistance in Tanganyika, 6003 children were able to go back to school in Kongolo e Mbolula (Tanganyika) and 23726 people received NFI assistance. (see latest report regarding the RRMP activities).