Living Conditions

The Democratic Republic of Congo is an immense country rich in natural resources at the heart of the African continent. The Congo has had a turbulent past.  The devastating war which began in 1996 represents one of the most poignant tragedies of modern human history. It is the World’s Forgotten War. Over five million lives have been lost directly to war or war related causes.

With the constant migrations of Congolese who have been driven from their home to neighboring countries as refugees or internally displaced, life is far from being normal.  To make it worse the use of rape as a weapon of war has escalated sexual violence against women and girls and traumatized the victims.  Eastern Congo is known as the world capital of rape.  In addition, the forced conscription of children in these conflicts by unnumbered armed groups has stolen their normal childhood from them. 

The UN deployed its largest peacekeeping force in the effort to ease and protect people with little success.  The world’s interest in the rich natural resources of the Congo and the schemes to obtain this wealth, in spite of the cost in human lives, has resulted in rampant suffering.  With your help, People to People Liaison stands with the Congolese people to provide a hopeful pathway for those who have suffered so much.

- We cannot stop the war, but we can empower those who are affected.

All refugees face the same set of problems:  unsanitary conditions, inadequate health care, insufficient food, and poor or non-existent shelter. Children particularly are unable to resist common childhood diseases because of the unsanitary conditions and poor nutrition.  Numbers of children have lost contact with their parents and are living with relatives because they do not know the whereabouts of their parents – or even whether their parents are alive.   The people with whom PTPL partners live with all these problems.