Maniema: NGO Tearfund Distributes Financial Aid to Over 1,300 Displaced Persons

A total of 1,309 displaced, returned, and vulnerable individuals in the Punia territory of Maniema have received direct financial assistance, with each household getting $160. This emergency aid was provided by the NGO Tearfund in partnership with the Diocesan Office for Community Development of the Anglican Church of Kindu, supported by funding from the RDC Humanitarian Fund.

Beneficiaries expressed their gratitude for the vital support but also appealed for an expansion of humanitarian coverage. Local civil society representatives acknowledged the financial response but drew attention to the scale of the health crisis gripping the region. Jean-Claude Ngoy Belebela, a representative of civil society in Punia, emphasized the gravity of the situation, particularly the ongoing measles outbreak which is causing high child mortality rates daily.

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There are many problems in Punia, many crises, especially now with the measles situation, where there are high cases of child mortality every day.

"There are many problems in Punia, many crises, especially now with the measles situation, where there are high cases of child mortality every day," Belebela stated. He noted that while the aid was helpful, it was insufficient given the vastness of the health zone, which comprises 17 health areas, while aid was distributed in only five.

The financial distribution is part of a larger project aimed at improving living conditions for crisis-affected households in Maniema. Pierre Kabe Mukunda, the project manager, detailed complementary actions already underway or planned. These include ongoing work to develop water sources for potable water, hygiene and sanitation campaigns promoting good family hygiene practices, and the distribution of intimate hygiene kits to women of reproductive age. Additionally, households are being identified for the distribution of essential household items (NFI).

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With this act, it has helped the population a little, although it was not enough because the health zone is quite vast, but they distributed cash in just 5 health areas instead of the 17 health areas that make up the Punia health zone.