The Comboni missionaries are actively, yet discreetly, involved in supporting displaced persons and war orphans. A key aspect of their work is education, which they consider the only way to prevent children from recruitment by armed groups.
The situation of displaced persons in Butembo, Lubero Territory (North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo), represents one of the most painful aspects of the humanitarian crisis affecting the region due to the advance of armed groups.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee the areas of Kanyabayonga, Kirumba, and surrounding villages, seeking refuge in areas deemed safer, such as Butembo and Musienene. The displaced face numerous difficulties on a daily basis. For this reason, the Comboni Missionaries have been supporting them for years.
Butembo does not have adequate facilities to accommodate such a large influx of people. Mons. Melchizedek Sikuli Paluku, Bishop of Butembo-Beni, has decided not to install tents for the displaced or set up refugee camps, but to ask the local population to welcome them into their homes, despite the numerous problems that this entails.
There are also displaced persons living in abandoned buildings. Many displaced people live in precarious conditions, forced to sleep in schools, churches, or in makeshift huts built from branches and plastic sheeting, which offer little protection from the elements, especially during the rainy season. Host families are stretched thin because they are poor and lack sufficient resources to support their guests for long periods.
Displaced people no longer have access to their agricultural fields, their main source of livelihood, and their hosts live in similar conditions. Without agriculture and money, everyone is almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid, which often arrives irregularly due to unsafe roads. Local food prices have risen due to shortages.
Overcrowding puts pressure on local water sources, forcing people to drink unclean and unsafe water and increasing the risk of disease. Overcrowding and the lack of adequate latrines encourage the spread of cholera, measles, and respiratory diseases.
Health centres in Butembo often lack essential medicines and sufficient staff to cope with the exponential increase in patients. Pregnant women and malnourished children are the most vulnerable groups in this context of forced displacement. The risk of sexual and gender-based violence is high when women must leave to fetch firewood or water.
Furthermore, children who do not attend school are at risk of being forcibly recruited by armed groups operating nearby. Schools are often occupied by displaced people or closed due to a lack of funding and security, leaving thousands of children without an education and without prospects. Beyond material needs, there is a deep psychological scar. These people have witnessed violence, lost family members, and had to abandon everything they owned. Living in constant uncertainty, without knowing when or if they will be able to return home, creates a state of perpetual anxiety and desperation.
We Comboni Missionaries in Butembo are actively, yet discreetly, engaged in supporting displaced people and war orphans. Our presence in this area of North Kivu is not new, and given the severity of the crisis, we have intensified our humanitarian efforts. We have repeatedly raised the alarm about the plight of widows and children left alone by the massacres.
Rather than creating large orphanages, we support local families who care for the orphans. In Butembo, hundreds of orphaned children are being taken in by well-meaning families who lack financial resources. We strive to provide them with food, clothing, and school fees. We have documented current needs and requested specific assistance for hundreds of orphans and widows who no longer have access to agricultural land to feed themselves.
A key aspect of our work is education, seen as the only way to prevent children from being recruited by armed groups. We often work closely with the Comboni Missionary Sisters, who manage projects such as the School Recovery Centre (CRS) in Butembo. This centre is vital for displaced children who have missed years of schooling due to the war or are too old for regular primary school classes.
Special courses held at this centre allow them to make up for lost time and learn a trade. We distribute food and hygiene kits to families who have recently arrived from areas devastated by fighting. As well as meals, we offer essential support to help overcome trauma. The Comboni community of Butembo is our postulancy, and the young people in formation participate by supporting the peripheral parishes where the displaced are concentrated. Unlike NGOs, which are sometimes forced to withdraw from critical areas for security reasons, we missionaries (both priests and sisters) remain on site even in the most difficult moments, often becoming the only stable point of reference for a terrified local population. (Photo: Comboni Missionaries working in DR Congo in assembly)
