Close-up action medeor

Sometimes even the most experienced colleagues are at a loss for words: Emmanuel Limi, who is responsible for Burundi and the DR Congo at action medeor, has spoken with women who were forced to flee from the M23 rebel militia. They report looting, killings, and rape. “Rarely has anything shaken me this deeply,” he recalls.

Exhausted and traumatized, tens of thousands of families from the DR Congo are seeking refuge in neighboring Burundi — only to find overcrowded camps with too few latrines, insufficient water, and a lack of medical care. Cholera is spreading. “The fact that some now want to return to the Congo, where the situation is life‑threatening, shows how inhumane the conditions are,” Emmanuel reports.

Together with our partner SFBSP, we are providing emergency aid: We are funding a mobile medical team and supplying a nearby hospital as well as the cholera center in Bujumbura with medicines and protective equipment. So far, all patients there have been successfully treated!

A large shipment of cholera kits is already on its way. And we want to act quickly again — with medicines, psychosocial support, and hygiene measures. Please support this effort with your donation so that this help reaches those in need!

No space. Hardly any protection.

At least 100,000 people have fled to Burundi in recent months. To accommodate anyone at all, areas are being used for makeshift shelters that are barely suitable. There are far too few latrines, and the water is barely drinkable. Diarrhea and fever are part of daily life. Every day, our partners on the ground report dozens of deaths. Many of the victims are already weakened young children. Cholera is on the rise.

"This crisis must not be forgotten. The people must not be forgotten!"

Emmanuel Limi

Responsible for action medeor projects in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo