DR CONGO British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Angelina Jolie visit DRC camp

March 26, 2013 (Goma, DRC): CARE International today hosted the British Foreign Secretary and Jolie’s visit to a CARE-supported sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) project in the Lac Vert Internally Displaced People’s camp, on the outskirts of Goma, North Kivu.

Hague said that he came to DRC to understand better the needs of survivors of sexual violence, so that he can find ways to support them.

“Both Hague and Jolie were very interested in finding out about the current situation in the camp, and what the sexual violence survivors needed the most. CARE hopes that this visit will shed more light on the issues women are facing in DRC every day. Sexual and gender-based violence continues to be a major concern for CARE, especially with the volatile situation that persists in North Kivu, eastern DRC,” said Yawo Douvon, Country Director, CARE DRC. “We are still seeing people arriving every day in camps such Lac Vert after having fled the recent eruption of violence in Kitchanga, which displaced nearly 100,000 people this month. Many of them are women with children. Many have survived sexual violence on their long journey to safety – a week by foot, through fields and forest, which was anything but safe. It is a grim situation.”

CARE works in three camps on the outskirts of Goma, including Lac Vert, training educators to offer support and advice to sexual violence survivors on how and where to access medical care. The educators also provide advice on the measures that can be taken to avoid attacks, and work with men to address the attitudes and traditions, which make women vulnerable to violence.

CARE provides financial support as well to sexual violence survivors and other vulnerable groups so that they can start businesses such as selling cooked food or goods in the camp.

This initiative not only helps them regain both a sense of normality and of dignity, but also prevents them from being exposed to further sexual violence as they are at less risk of falling prey to harm while searching for firewood and water, and less likely to turn to prostitution.

On 17 March, CARE provided 186 cash transfers to sexual violence survivors and other vulnerable people in Lac Vert camp.

“Jolie said she was impressed by how important the cash transfers were to the women she spoke to, and despite the many difficulties they are struggling with it, this seems to have brought them hope,” said Douvon.

“But there is a great need for more and better emergency medical care to tend to sexual violence survivors’ needs, especially post-exposure prophylaxis. They are also in urgent need of shelter, and access to water and sanitation. It is important that we put the survivors first, and we tend to their immediate medical and psychological needs above all,” said Douvon.

Hague and Jolie’s visit took place in the lead up to the G8 meeting on April 11, London, when for the first time in the G8’s history, the issue of sexual violence against women will be discussed.

Read more stories about CARE's work to stop sexual and gender-based violence in DRC.

Media contacts:

Adel Sarkozi (Goma), [email protected], +243 974348526
Nicola Peckett, [email protected], +44 20 7091 6015
Brian Feagans (Atlanta), [email protected], + 4044574644

ABOUT CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. In 84 countries around the world, CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. CARE and its local partners implement long-term development programs and humanitarian assistance interventions in the Great Lakes countries (DRC, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi), including programs to prevent sexual and gender-based violence and provide support to survivors.