What Oxfam is doing
Years of sporadic conflict in Congo has resulted in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, which has taken the lives of an estimated 5.4 million people. Preventable diseases have killed many of them.
Last updated: Summer 2008
Despite its vast potential wealth—Congo contains an abundance of minerals and one of the largest river systems in the world—the country and its 60 million people are among the poorest on the planet. According to the UN Development Index, Congo earned a rank of 168 out of 177. The index measures standards of living, education levels, and life expectancy.
Conflict has inhibited the country's ability to address that poverty. Many people live in areas with a heavy military presence where they don't have access to adequate food or services.
Oxfam is one of the leading agencies providing water and sanitation in Congo. Our work includes both longer term development projects, such as improving schools, and help for people displaced by conflict. We are now working in the eastern regions of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu where communities are hosting tens of thousands of displaced people. We are concentrating on providing clean water and sanitation and offering a public health program to promote good hygiene.
