Democratic Republic of Congo (April 04, 2002) - When the Mt. Nyiragongo volcano blew, Diane Bakeka was visiting her husband in the hospital in Goma, where he was recovering from an accident. In the resulting chaos, the two joined hundreds of thousands of others fleeing their burning, lava-covered city in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The throng of refugees crossed into neighboring Rwanda. After traveling 50 miles, Bakeka and her husband arrived at the Cyuve (choo-vay) camp in Ruhengeri. There, they were given blankets, corn flour and a plate and a cup. They sleep on the floor of a massive tent, which holds about 300 people -- crowded next to one another. It is not ideal, but it is a comfort from the steady rains.
Bakeka’s greatest worry is finding her five children, who range in age from 1 to 13. The rush to escape Goma made it impossible for the family to leave together. Bakeka believes they made it to another camp, but the worry is causing her stomach pains and a headache.
On her second day at the camp, Bakeka visited CARE’s mobile health clinic.
"I am not thinking well, because of my problems," said Bakeka. "I don’t know what I will do now. I am just starting to get information about my children. And I don’t have hope about going home to live, because our house is gone."
Like Bakeka, many of the refugees suffer stress-related injuries. Many also have developed respiratory problems, both from toxic gas spewed by the eruption and exposure to the rain and cooler climate of Ruhengeri. Other common ailments treated by clinic staff in the first few days include malaria, stomachaches and headaches. The team of five also has helped a number of pregnant women and continues to dispense free medicine and condoms to those who need it.
"About 70 percent of the patients are suffering from respiratory problems related to the emergency. But much of what we are doing is treating the typical health problems you would see in any community," said Phoebe Kilele, who supervises the project. "The regional health structure in Ruhengeri couldn’t accommodate the influx of refugees. They were overwhelmed by the population."
Typically, the clinic is based four hours from Ruhengeri, near the border with Uganda and Tanzania. There, the team serves poor nomadic pastoralists, who fled Rwanda during the genocide and were relocated there after returning. The clinic can treat up to 10,000 people for two weeks.
"I am proud we were able to respond and help people immediately," said Kilele. "The volcano erupted Thursday, and we were in the camp the next day."
