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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga
Refugees from Rumangabo Station Arrive in Goma
I have just come back from the camp we have created in Goma for the families of rangers fleeing the fighting in Rumangabo. The pictures below were taken 45 minutes ago.
We were able to send three trucks up to Rumangabo yesterday and drove back with as many people as we could fit. They arrived late last night and had to sleep out in the open, although we were able to give them tarps and some rice and water last night. Most hadn’t eaten in 36 hours.
At about 23:00 one of the wives starting having a miscarriage due to the stress. She was bleeding heavily and we rushed her to the hospital- she almost died, but thankfully she was treated just in time. Also, the girl that had been hit by a stray bullet is OK- she was very lucky. The bullet came in and out of the left side of her chest- a couple inches to the right and she would have been killed.
This morning, the families are getting busy building temporary shelters with sticks and the tarps we gave them. We are also providing water and food and building toilets, but already we are getting some cases of diarrhea. Our field nurse Joel is on the case and we are soliciting the help of the humanitarian organizations that are more experienced in dealing with these problems.
We also sent another truck back up to Rumangabo to collect the people we left behind. By the end of the day, we will have 350 people here at the camp in Goma. The news from Rumangabo is that there was fighting last night, but none this morning. A core group of rangers have stayed behind to hold the fort and protect the equipment. That is very brave, considering that the Congolese Army will probably soon be launching an offensive in order to regain the Rumangabo base back from the rebels.
I am going back now to the camp now, and will update you as soon as I can.
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9 Responses to “Refugees from Rumangabo Station Arrive in Goma”
wow…
you guys are doing a good job
can’t you call on the UN troops in the region to protect the ones left behind in Rumangabo? or is it naive of me to think that?
stay safe
Thanks for the update Pierre! Where in Goma has this refugee camp been set up?
I’m glad you were able to get these families to safety. And very thankful that the child hit by the stray bullet is going to live. Seeing the video of the bomb blasts and all the people running and crying is so very sad and scary. To stay behind is very, very brave of the Rangers that did so. I prey for their safety. Lisa
All of you are doing much more than Protecting Mountain Gorillas and Virunga, as it says on top of this page, so very much more… Iris
[...] dangerous situation at Rumangabo has forced about 50 rangers and their families to be evacuated to Goma where a temporary camp has beeen established using sticks and tarps. This is a set back for gorilla [...]
Hi Virginia- the camp on the western outskirts of Goma near the lake, past the Hotel Karibu.
Hi Jan. It is a complex situation at the moment - and the Rangers are caught right in the middle of the conflict. So while the UN can probably assist with moving people - they really have their hands full. It is such chaos that the only solution is to get the Rangers and their families out.
I do not understand why no newspaper, no French television speaks about these dramatic évênements in R.D.C. BBC News however makes echo of it …..
Why this silence?. Which are our interests? Who can to alert the press?
Thank you for updating us. no major media covers eastern Congo despite the massive loss of human life and property. Please continue to keep us informed