Emergency Aid and Sensibilisation
Different groups are fighting each other, even foreign countries are interfering in the conflict. The country has not had a unified, national force since 2011. Countless militias have taken over that function, all of them heavily armed despite the embargo on weapons. Many of these groups are Islamist in orientation. As is often the case, the civil population bears the brunt of the conflict.
The crisis has forced many to flee within their own country. Being part of the wrong tribe or living in the wrong city can be enough to become displaced. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded the challenges of these refugees (IDPs, “Internally Displaced Persons”) and made life nearly unbearable for them. Our partner supplies 250 IDPs per year in three cities in the Northeast with emergency kits containing food, masks, hygienic supplies as well as hand sanitizer.
Given the current security concerns, most international aid organizations have taken refuge in other countries close to the border. Only a few local relief organizations remain in the area. Our partner and his team are among these exceptions even though it is extremely challenging and dangerous for them to continue their activities. The leader, for example, has had to change cities several times for security reasons. Despite all of this, they continue their distributions as well as their highly valued activities in raising awareness among children about sexual abuse.
