The city of Goma passed to the control of the rebel group M23 over a series of struggles this morning the 20th of November, after a hard battle in the center of Goma. The M23 rebels are visible everywhere in town. There is some sporadic shooting in the outlying neighborhoods of the city.

Some gunshot victims came to the hospital affer the intense gun battles. Now there are calls from various neighborhoods for HEAL Africa’s ambulance to come and pick up the wounded.  All the other hospitals in the city are referring the wounded to HEAL Africa.  Our teams are all working hard.

We need help to be able to help these wounded, who, for the most part have come alone to the hospital, without a family member to bring them food.

We do not know the fate of the displaced people from the camp of Kanyaruchinya, who fled there in the direction of the camps of Mugunga.  It is in the direction of Mugunga (west of Goma) that there is gunfire now.  Since they were displaced two days ago and sent in the direction of Mugunga, no NGO was authorized to help them.  It was only yesterday that HEAL Africa received permission to go to the camps in Mugunga to do a needs assessment, but as the situation quickly deteriorated in the city (due to panic and people seeking to flee), traffic became impossible.  There is a great risk of a humanitarian catastrophe if nothing is done.

As soon as possible we will send our emergency team to Mugunga to try to find the displaced people of Kanyaruchinya.

Thank you.

Justin Lussy, MD, OB-GYN