22nd May 2022, Mount Nyiragongo

One year ago today, Mount Nyiragongo, a volcano located in the southern sector of Virunga National Park, erupted for the first time in nearly two decades. The resulting lava flow left a trail of destruction and catastrophic consequences for the people of Goma, a city of nearly 2 million inhabitants, many of whom live in extreme poverty under the shadow of years of conflict and instability.

It is estimated that over 30 people lost their lives in the eruption, while many more lost their homes and livelihoods: several hundred homes were reduced to ashes, and the electricity and drinking water distribution network was destroyed, leaving millions of people without access to safe drinking water and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power.

In the immediate aftermath of the eruption, Virunga National Park mobilised its network and resources to provide life-saving assistance to as many people as possible. Working closely with partners, including La Lucha, Goma Actif, and the Uhuru Knowledge Center, we supported the distribution of food and other essentials to some of the most vulnerable, reaching over 1,000 people in desperate need.

Yet, a year on, there is still much to be done to help those affected rebuild their lives – and, in many cases, their homes – and to overcome the trauma caused by the eruption of Nyiragongo.

Despite the many promises of aid made in the days following the eruption, many people are still living in temporary and inadequate accommodation. They lack basic resources and face a future fraught with uncertainty.

Virunga National Park, together with other local stakeholders, is working hard to improve the livelihoods of people in eastern Congo – one of the world’s most unstable and vulnerable regions – through the Virunga Alliance and the sustainable development and use of the Park’s vast natural resources.

But there are still many people in immediate and urgent need. The same sense of urgency and the same outpouring of empathy that followed the eruption a year ago must be channelled into providing them with safe and secure shelter and helping them rebuild their lives. They must not be forgotten.