The Red Cross has threatened the possible escape of deadly pathogens such as Ebola virus from a lab in the beleaguered city of Goma in the DRC. The lab is within the national biomedical research institute that faces a probable blackout due to fierce fighting in the region.
Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s regional director for Africa, said, “If the pathogens were to escape, that would be very catastrophic.” According to him, it is close to the ICRC’s delegation in Goma, and, therefore, preserving power is paramount to keeping lab samples.
Goma Under Siege
Since Sunday, violence has been increasing in Goma as the Tutsi-led M23 armed group, with the support of Rwandan forces, pushed into the city. The region, rich in minerals, has been in conflict since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when many armed groups fought for control.
The United Nations estimates that more than 500,000 people have been displaced in the area since the beginning of the year. Goma, home to over a million residents, already hosts approximately 700,000 internally displaced persons, further complicating the humanitarian crisis.
Overwhelmed Healthcare Facilities
The upsurge in fighting has brought wounded civilians pouring into ICRC-supported facilities, such as Goma’s CBCA Ndosho hospital. The ICRC reported treating over 600 wounded since January, nearly half of them civilians, including many women and children.
Myriam Favier, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Goma, described harrowing conditions in the hospitals, with patients lying on the floor due to overcrowding. “Civilians are arriving seriously wounded by bullets or shrapnel,” she said, noting that many injured are transported by motorbikes, buses, or Congolese Red Cross volunteers.
Calls for Humanitarian Assistance
Head of ICRC in DRC is the Delegation leader. Francois Moreillon stated, that there was this organization under distressed calls since injured and cut from assistances to access them in different parts with massive distress levels for humanitarian supplies into the unfolding crises.
As the battle intensifies, Goma has the risk of experiencing the worst twin: a health crisis and humanitarian calamity. Internationally, action is imperative as well to help keep civilians and calm the volatile regional situation.
