May 28, 2021
Andrew Campbell
Hours after the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano May 22 near Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), helicopters and drones of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) were conducting their reconnaissance flights in the air. Two rivers of molten rock in slow-moving lava spewed from the huge crater of Mount Nyiragongo, causing thousands of residents to flee Goma, a city with a population of two million people.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported 32 deaths including three children resulting from the eruption for the first time in almost twenty years, while 40 people were listed missing. Moreover, UNICEF warned if the current exodus prolongs, there will be more than 400,000 people including 280,000 children forcibly displaced to seek protection or support.
Thousands of people fled Goma following the 22 May eruption, many of whom were heading to the nearby town of Sake, 25 km northwest of the Goma city. Sake, on the other hand, is in an area where cholera epidemics are common. UNICEF representatives in the DRC Edouard Beigbeder are worried about an increased danger of a cholera epidemic. Most importantly, Beigbeder requests immediate international cooperation to eliminate hazards and disasters for children. Thus, UNICEF and the Red Cross have joined to enhance the active surveillance against cholera. They also provided vitally important Water and Sanitation (WASH) equipment to improve water chlorination of public water points.
On the first day of the volcano eruption, about 1,000 children were separated from their parents amid the chaos. UNICEF was able to help 700 children to reunite with their families. In addition, UNICEF collaborates closely with the DRC government, particularly when it comes to children's health and nutrition. Regional authorities fear further eruptions and are on high alert for possible catastrophic scenarios, while tens of thousands of households have fled Goma as a result of their anxieties.
Photo:webshot.