Letter from the field, Giorgio Trombatore

A Letter from the Field

Giorgio Trombatore
This postcard is difficult to write. As International Medical Corps’ Country Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country torn apart by 20 years of civil war, sometimes day-to-day life is extremely difficult. Millions have been forced to flee their homes, and sexual violence is being used as a weapon to terrorize communities. This ongoing reality struck close to home when we recently responded and provided care for survivors of the tragic August mass rape attacks in remote eastern Congo.

In a place this unstable, providing even basic medical care is a huge challenge. But we are making real progress: last year, in addition to 85 community health centers we support, we opened the Kalonge Reproductive Health Center, which serves 48,000 women in this remote region. Kalonge is the first extremely remote hospital in eastern Congo to offer fistula repair, a complicated procedure to fix a debilitating injury that results from complications during childbirth, and in rare cases from sexual assault.

What’s more, in the past seven months alone we provided more than 23,000 pre and post natal consultations for mothers and children. We responded to more than 600 survivors of sexual violence.

Thank you so much. We truly appreciate your support. All the best,





Giorgio Trombatore





MORE ON DRC
February 23, 2011 - Guardian: Congo army colonel guilty of ordering mass rape on New Year's Day


January 5, 2011 - In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 16 Days of Activism Against Sexual Violence

December 20, 2010 - Battle Against Cholera Epidemic in Eastern Congo Hampered By Lack of Basic Supplies and Medicines

December 9, 2010 - Taking on Polio in Democratic Republic of Congo with Mass Campaign to Immunize Children



MORE... One Remote Village, 4 Days, 250 Rapes
Margaret Aguirre
I remember the sick feeling in my stomach as I read the email from our medical coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

“We are facing a massive case of community rape in Walikale Health Zone. …We expect that in total the number is about 250 women raped in 4 days – a major catastrophe.”

I stared at the screen in bewilderment.

I had been to the DRC a number of times, met many, many women and children who had been raped and whom we were treating. Indeed, the phrase, “Rape as a weapon of war” has become a tragic cliché to describe what has been happening in the eastern part of the country the last several years.

But how do you wrap your brain around such numbers – the scale of the onslaught, the systematic, diabolical nature of an attack in which women, girls, boys are raped by multiple armed men at once, often in front of husbands and children.

The attacks by hundreds of soldiers began July 30 in the village of Luvungi, located near mines rich in gold, cassiterite, and coltan. When our teams were able to reach the village days later and began treating the survivors, they first thought there might be 24, then 56. As more and more victims came forward and the scale of the catastrophe became evident, word spread quickly and the wider international community took notice. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the attack. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon dispatched a special representative to investigate.

As a humanitarian organization that has been operating in DRC since 1999, our focus is healing wounds and helping people to recover and rebuild their lives: providing medical treatment to a woman who has been raped, psychological assistance, and livelihoods assistance so she can get back on her feet and care for herself and her family.

But our mission also focuses on prevention and education - raising awareness about issues like sexual and gender-based violence, whether it is in a remote community in eastern DRC, or here in Los Angeles, where International Medical Corps is based.

During her visit to our programs in DRC last year, Hilary Clinton declared, “We believe there should be no impunity for the sexual and gender-based violence committed by so many.” The U.N. recently echoed her sentiments.

International Medical Corps stands with them in sounding a call to action for eastern DRC. We are very fortunate to have a powerful ally in educating the wider public about what is happening there. This September, the Geffen Playhouse staged a production of the astounding Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Ruined” about the triumph of the human spirit in DRC. International Medical Corps served as an educational sponsor for the production, and all proceeds from the September 28th show, underwritten by The Edgerton Foundation, went to International Medical Corps’ humanitarian work. Following the performance, Nancy A. Aossey, our President and CEO joined the cast on stage for a conversation with the audience about the play, our work in DRC, and the struggles of its people.

It is hard for me to imagine the epidemic of rape in eastern DRC getting worse, and yet is has. All of us must do more to help bring an end to the violence there. How many mass rapes have to occur before the world says enough?




Margaret Aguirre