Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 20, 2022 — Kate Moger, Regional Vice President for the Great Lakes region at the IRC, said:
On 11th May 2022 in Kimoka village, North Kivu, DRC, two International Rescue Committee (IRC) vehicles returning from IRC project sites were attacked by armed men. The driver of one of the vehicles was shot twice and the driver and a colleague from the second vehicle were taken by the armed men. The IRC is delighted to announce that the two colleagues have now been released and all affected staff are being provided with full medical and psychosocial care. The IRC will continue to support our colleagues and their families with post-trauma care.
This incident is another reminder of the risks humanitarian aid workers face whilst providing critical aid to communities around the world. The IRC continues to call for humanitarian access for affected populations in the DRC, the protection of humanitarian staff and assets and adherence to International Humanitarian Law by all parties.
The IRC has been working in the DRC since 1996 providing emergency assistance and humanitarian aid to those affected by violence and uprooted from their homes. As the country struggles to recover from decades of conflict and widespread epidemics, the IRC is focusing our efforts in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika and in the city of Kinshasa by providing health care, water, sanitation, protection services and emergency supplies to hundreds of thousands of people in eastern and central Congo.