21-03-2025 | di COOPI

Emergency in Goma: COOPI's ongoing response

In Goma, a city in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an unprecedented humanitarian crisis is unfolding in a region already marked by over thirty years of instability and conflict. COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale, which is already active on the ground with the project "Multisectoral Emergency Assistance in Nutrition and Education for Communities Affected by the M23 Crisis in North Kivu Province," is providing immediate support to the most vulnerable segments of the population, particularly children.

With the worsening situation, malnutrition rates have risen above 9%, while hundreds of children have been forced to interrupt their education due to the conflict.

Combating malnutrition

As of December 2024, the nutritional situation in the displacement sites around Goma was already critical. The SMART survey recorded an estimated prevalence of 9.5% for combined acute malnutrition and 2.1% for severe acute malnutrition. These figures make the nutritional emergency in Goma a top priority. COOPI is distributing food and providing nutritional support to address this crisis.

Food shortages and the soaring prices of staple foods are putting the lives of young children and pregnant women at risk"

Explains Ilaria di Modugno, COOPI expert and coordinator of the national nutrition working group.

Interventions include strengthening nutritional centers and supporting the most vulnerable families, ensuring that aid reaches those who need it most despite logistical and security challenges.

Returning to school for thousands of children

Reopening schools in crisis-affected areas remains a challenge. The data is alarming: in some schools, more than 300 students are missing, while in others, the number of available teachers has drastically declined. COOPI is working to rehabilitate school structures, distribute educational materials, and recruit new teachers, creating the necessary conditions for children to return to the classroom.

Ensuring access to education means providing children with a safe space where they can build their future and be protected from the risks of violence and forced recruitment" 

Emphasizes Emilia Vavassori, Program Manager for Central Africa.

COOPI’s educational activities aim to help parents overcome their fears and restore a sense of normalcy for children in a context of severe instability.

The Operating Context

Emergency interventions on the ground are extremely complex: Goma's airport remains closed, forcing humanitarian workers to use alternative routes through Rwanda. Customs delays are blocking shipments, pending the implementation of exemption measures for humanitarian goods. Furthermore, the closure of banks and microfinance institutions is paralyzing the distribution of emergency aid via cash transfers.

COOPI in RDC

Since 1977, COOPI has been active in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it has acquired a profound knowledge of the local context, focusing on activities to protect, prevent and combat malnutrition, as well as promoting food security. The organisation has always paid special attention to women and children who are victims of gender-based violence, forced recruitment and other serious human rights violations, offering psycho-social support, free healthcare and promoting protection and prevention projects. Furthermore, COOPI is committed to facilitating educational and professional reintegration, helping these children and families to rebuild their lives and autonomy.