Cologne/Bukavu. In the province of South Kivu in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malteser International distributes food to more than 20,000 internally displaced persons. As a part of an aid programme financed by the European Commission, the World Food Programme of the United Nations provides 368 tons of foodstuffs (maize, beans and salt). Each person initially receives a ration of 15 kg of food for one month.

Due to continuous raids of armed groups during which people get kidnapped or even killed, the families left their villages and fled to friends or relatives in safer areas. Those villages, however, are short of foodstuffs now. A team of 16 employees of Malteser International organises the distribution. Further food distributions are planned in the upcoming two months.

As the terror of the armed groups continues with unrelieved brutality, at present there is hardly any chance that the displaced people can return to their villages. Thus, Malteser International expects even more people to be on the run in the region of South Kivu within the next months.

Attention editorial offices! Christoph Ruhmich, Programme Coordinator of Malteser International in Bukavu/South Kivu, is available for interviews. Please contact +49 (0) 221 / 9822 - 155.

For its projects in the DR Congo, Malteser International appeals for donations:

Donation Account 120 120 120 Bank fuer Sozialwirtschaft, Woerthstr.15-17, D-50668 Koeln Sort Code 370 205 00, IBAN: DE49 3702 0500 0001 0258 01, BIC: BFSWDE33XXX Reference: 'Congo'

For more Information please contact: Petra Ipp, Senior Desk Officer Communication, Malteser International Phone: +49-221-9822-155, Fax +49-221/9822-179; petra.ipp@malteser-international.org; www.malteser-international.org