EU sends humanitarian aid to eastern DR Congo

The European Union has sent humanitarian aid to eastern DRC to support immediate needs such as nutrition, healthcare, water and sanitation, shelter and protection.

A cargo plane carrying tents, medical equipment, and other humanitarian aid landed on Friday in the eastern Congolese city of Gom. This is the first delivery under a European Union scheme to support millions of displaced people in the conflict hit country.

EU’s ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo Jean-Marc Chataigner said that a second plane with EU-funded supplies is scheduled to arrive next week.

The city of over one million people is increasingly threatened by M23 rebels, who have captured swathes of North Kivu province since re-emerging from dormancy in late 2021.

A report by the military said at Least 36 people were killed by extremists on Wednesday night and many others were injured.

Clashes between the M23 armed group and government forces erupted again on Friday near the village of Murambi, less than 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of Goma.

The DRC accuses its smaller neighbour Rwanda of supporting the rebels, something that Kigali denies, and regional countries have deployed a joint force aimed at stabilising the region.