The Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo is currently experiencing a crisis. Decades of bubbling tension has overflowed into wide scale conflict, with at least 7000 people killed so far. Traditional forms of humanitarian aid are not getting into the country.
There are three main reasons why international aid is barely trickling into Eastern Congo. Firstly, the banks in the conflict zone are closed so getting money into the region is very difficult. Secondly, aid is being cut by almost all state donors around the world who make up 83% of international humanitarian funding. Thirdly, combatant groups controlling parts of Congo are not making it easy for large aid programmes to access the territories most affected by on-going violence. The reduction of international aid reaching Eastern Congo may not be a wholly bad thing - donor funding has, at times, perpetuated violence in Eastern Congo by reportedly strengthening predatory networks and armed groups, and bypassing local ownership. Aid that is poorly targeted or co-opted by elites can provide perverse incentives for fuelling instability. Before state aid quite recently began its dramatic decline, it continued to flow through either ignorance, indifference, or even in spite of this huge contradiction, with parallel goals in mind related to geopolitical influence and power.
With reduced state funding, we have to rethink how resources are deployed and how aid can be in fact “humanitarian” - putting people, rather than regional strategic goals, at the centre of collective efforts. Working this out now should be an urgent priority because the situation in Eastern Congo is rapidly deteriorating: armed groups remain active across North and South Kivu, violence and human rights violations continue unabated, and food insecurity has reached record levels, with 28 million people—nearly a quarter of the DRC’s population—facing acute hunger. Meanwhile, over 113,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries since the beginning of the year alone.
At Cohere we have been gathering together a community of people from all over the world to stand in solidarity with vulnerable displaced communities affected by the decades long conflict in Congo, that has recently ramped up to devastating levels. We see it as vital that we elevate the effort of connecting and building relationships over and above simply channelling financial aid, because aid that is not predicated on human relationships may turn out to be not aid at all in a complex context like Eastern Congo - it can do more harm than good.
One way we foster connection is through our Gathering Points—online sessions where local leaders in Congo share their experiences directly with people from around the world. Our last call drew participants from four continents, including many from East Africa, showing that humanitarian action is not the sole domain of “donor countries”. In fact, locally led humanitarianism, local efforts and local resources make up the response to the crisis now. Thousands of unaccompanied children left roaming the streets of Goma after the displacement camps were destroyed are now being sheltered in homes of families whose own livelihoods have also been shattered by the conflict. These families will never be recognised for single handedly taking taking on roles once held by billion-dollar UN operations.
That said, some people have generously contributed to our campaign and we have been able to send the funds immediately and directly to these people on the frontline in Eastern Congo, taking no commission. This is made possible through trust-based networks and personal relationships that allow safe, rapid transfers via mobile money and cash. As Marie from Fountain of Hope shared during our last call, these funds are reaching women giving birth without care, children facing malnutrition, and victims of cholera and trauma. The partner organisations we support are typically small local organisations led by refugees or people affected by displacement or conflict. We have known them for many years and our teams on the ground have interacted with them face to face on a regular basis.
In traditional aid systems, delivering this same amount to the frontline could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, with the vast majority of it being wasted in bureaucracy and transfer costs between multiple organisations along the way. Our approach prioritises local agency and a rapid, flexible response and this may often mean stepping outside of traditional flows of international aid funding. At Cohere, we believe that only through real human relationships can aid truly reach the most vulnerable. Those with the most pressing needs will always be systematically excluded from aid if local actors are not free to decide, at any given time, who those people are — especially given that what constitutes a crisis, and who is most affected by it, can shift from one day to the next.
This is one of the main reasons why at Cohere we focus on building human to human connections, investing time in interpersonal relationships that are rooted in presence, listening and solidarity. It is only through mutual connection that aid has a real chance of reaching those most in need and achieving its purpose. People who are close to the situation, in regular contact with those most affected, are best positioned to make decisions that reflect not just needs, but also opportunities, when appropriate. Directing aid through grounded, people-centred partnerships is the surest way to avoid doing more harm than good — whether that’s financial support, large or small, or other forms of solidarity.
Cohere is therefore first and foremost an access point for building and deepening relationships — whether through the network we’ve built with local leaders over years of being present in displacement settings, or by helping others form direct links, including through our platform, Reframe . We believe that currently, building real connections is even more important than raising money - if appropriate the funds will follow.
Gathering Points create spaces that are centred on the voices of the most marginalised in Eastern Congo, rather than filtered through reports or headlines. Engaging in these conversations is not simply about funding a cause; it is about building understanding and connections at a time of deepening divisions in the world. This approach emphasises that genuine solidarity requires listening before acting, and connecting before contributing. We invite anyone reading to be part of this.
