Our Focus Country: The Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- In January of 2008, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) survey found that “5,400,000 people have died from war-related causes in Congo since 1988–the worl’d deadliest documented conflict since WWII.”
- There are 1.7 million internally displaced people and 450,000 refugees fleeing violence.
- Gender-based violence is so prevalent in the DRC that it has been called the “worst place for women to live in the world.”
- The median age in Congo is 16.3 years. An estimated 2.5% of the population lives to be 65 or older.
- Over 1,000 needless deaths occur each day due to malnutrition and infectious disease, all of which are preventable.
- The DRC is the 5th poorest country in the world.
Other Resources:
King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa
The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence
Facing the Congo: A Modern-Day Journey into the Heart of Darkness