As the Fighting in Eastern Congo Continues, the Mental health Problem gets Worse

The time was morning. In order to use this scarf to end my life, I arranged it in this way. I considered placing it there, but then I considered my kids. My kids will be here without me if I kill myself someday,” Nelly remembered.

She was about to hang herself when a neighbour intervened in time to save her life. “I was considering this when my door was knocked on. He asked me what I wanted to do after greeting me. He asked me not to do that, so I stopped after explaining it to him.

The eastern Congo is experiencing a serious mental health crisis as a result of years of conflict, and individuals impacted have limited access to support. As conflict continues to force thousands of people to flee their homes, aid organisations report a sharp rise in the number of people seeking mental health assistance. The relocation camps’ unsuitable healing settings exacerbate the already dire state of mental health.

Action Against Hunger reports that the number of individuals receiving psychosocial help in the camps surrounding Goma increased from 6,600 to over 20,000 between January and June, a 200% increase over the same period the previous year. Additionally, the group observed a sharp rise in the number of people reporting suicide thoughts, which went from roughly five per month at the start.