There is war in the Congo. The rebellion is capturing more villages and is coming dangerously close to our hospital. We need you very much today! Let us show that we are with all the staff and patients. Let us support them in these difficult hours.

What has been happening for the last few days in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically in North Kivu, in the hills immediately adjacent to our hospital, is spine-chilling. Today, no one there is thinking of celebrating Father’s Day. They have their hands full, fleeing their homes from the aggression of the rebellion which is taking over one area after another, spreading destruction and death.

We are only a few kilometres from the front. We need to stock up on supplies quickly, because the road to the provincial capital could soon be cut off. Refugees from neighbouring villages are arriving in our village. We can hear the shots of rifles and heavy artillery. War is unpredictable. You can’t hear the sirens alerting you to danger, and it could come at any time and from any direction.

The pattern of the rebels’ actions is very similar to the one we know from across the eastern border. The aggressors have entered and occupied new territories in the name of liberating these areas from some invisible force that threatens them. In reality, it is all about influence and minerals, with which the whole of North Kivu is saturated.

As we celebrate Father’s Day today, let us think of those who today are only thinking about getting their families through another day. Support for the hospital that is admitting the next wave of refugees is our top priority today. We ask for your support.