WUNRN
UN Refugee Agency
CONGO - THE SUFFERING & STRENGTH
OF DISPLACED CONGO WOMEN - PHOTO GALLERY
Agnes sits among her seven children in the
Mugunga III site for internally displaced people in
During
the ceaseless cycle of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, it
is the vulnerable who suffer the most, especially women and children. The issue
of widespread sexual and gender-based violence is a major concern for UNHCR,
but it never goes away. The refugee agency has received dozens of reports of
rape and assault of women during the latest wave of fighting between government
forces and rebel troops as well as militia groups in North and South Kivu
provinces. It is an area where rape is used as a weapon of war.
The fear of sexual and physical violence forces thousands of women to seek refuge away from their homes or across the border in countries such as Rwanda and Uganda. Often their menfolk remain behind and women become the heads of household, looking after young children. They are the bedrock of society, yet they are often the first to suffer when instability comes to their home areas.
The photo gallery images were taken recently in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda by Frédèric Noy. They depict Congolese women who have fled their homes, leaving almost everything behind, and sought shelter in a place they hope will be better than where they came from. In many ways they have become inured to hardship, but so many of them continue to retain hope for themselves and their children. And that is an inspiration to those who help them.