The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has recently highlighted the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly in the eastern regions of North and South Kivu. The report from the UNHCR cites crime and internal violence as the primary driving forces behind continued mass displacement within the strife-torn nation. 

Spokesperson Eujin Byun, speaking at a recent UN press briefing in Geneva, claimed “Heavy artillery shelling and looting have destroyed 70,000 emergency shelters around Goma and Minova in North and South Kivu provinces, leaving some 350,000 internally displaced people once again without a roof over their heads.” She went on to highlight that numerous homes have been destroyed and access to basic, essential services is either mostly or completely unavailable. 

Prayer Points:

• The most obvious prayer point is the desperate need for divine peace within the country. Every day more people lose their homes, lose access to food and clean water, and are subjected to lethal violence due to local conflict. General prayer for peace and order in the nation continues to be a significant and urgent need.
• Children also very tragically find themselves at great risk in the DRC. Statistics indicate that the DRC has the highest number of child abductions globally, many of which are cases of juvenile soldier recruitment. (savethechildren.net, 2023)
• Prayer is also needed for local pastors, who attempt to shepherd congregations through this chaotic time. Roughly 95% of the DRC’s population identifies as Christian.