ARC Assessing Ways To Help Volcano Victims In Congo

American Refugee Committee
Thursday, 17 January 2002

The American Refugee Committee evacuated its staff from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today after a volcano erupted nearby and is assessing ways it can help victims of the disaster.

ARC staff on the ground reported that tens of thousands of people are fleeing into Rwanda to escape lava from the volcano, which erupted near the eastern town of Goma, and that the situation is extremely chaotic. Some 300,000-500,000 people could be affected.

"We hope that we can expand our operations in Rwanda to provide food, shelter or other basic necessities to the victims of this disaster," said ARC Interim Executive Director Joe Bock.

The Nyiragongo volcano, just north of Lake Kivu, has been spewing lava on both sides of the border since this morning.

ARC, a humanitarian aid organization based in Minneapolis, has strong ties to the region affected by the volcano. It operated programs in Goma (in what was then Zaire) from 1994 to 1997 to help refugees who fled Rwanda immediately after the genocide there that took at least 800,000 lives. It returned to the area last autumn to help victims of war and unrest in the DRC. ARC has been operating humanitarian aid programs in Rwanda since 1994.

ARC has received word that some of the people fleeing the volcano will be transferred to the Kiziba refugee camp near the eastern side of Lake Kivu in Rwanda, where ARC recently began providing services including water, sanitation and shelter. ARC will expand its program there to help the volcano victims.

ARC's DRC staff -- one Rwandan and 15 Congolese -- are now just across the border in Gisenyi, Rwanda, and will be reassigned to help victims of the new crisis.

For more information, or to contact American Refugee Committee, see their website at: www.archq.org