Ilunga Madeleine’s gaze tells a story of loss, but also of survival.
Like hundreds of other families in the Nyunzu territory, she saw raging floodwaters wash away her possessions and her hopes. Yet in December, within the walls of Nazareth Parish in Tanganyika, a feeling of deep gratitude took over.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency Bishop Nelson Kalombo Ngoy and UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) for this wonderful initiative,” she said, her hands clasped around a relief kit. “I pray that God will bless them abundantly.”
UMCOR Brings Relief to Devastated Region
The United Methodist Church provided humanitarian aid to flood victims and displaced people living in the Tanganyika region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In late December, a team from the United Methodist Committee on Relief Disaster Management Office in the episcopal area and Bishop Ngoy delivered emergency aid to more than 700 people affected by flooding in Nyunzu and visited thousands of internally displaced persons in Tanganyika for Christmas.
The emergency humanitarian response comes amid a “double crisis” affecting the Tanganyika region: Devastating floods in Nyunzu reduced homes and agricultural livelihoods to rubble; and the area has seen a massive influx of internally displaced persons who have fled armed violence in the provinces of North and South Kivu. Between submerged fields and homes abandoned in haste, The United Methodist Church has become a safety net for families caught between climate chaos and the ravages of war.
UMCOR, the humanitarian aid and development arm of The United Methodist Church, has disbursed emergency funds to purchase food and non-food items.
Richard Mushitu, the Tanganyika Episcopal Area’s Disaster Management coordinator, said assistance was provided to the most vulnerable households.
Relief kits included rice, corn flour, cooking oil, beans, sugar, salt, plastic containers, soap and cloth.
Miridi Bernadette is a widow and mother of seven children. “We lost everything in the floods,” she recalled. “This aid has given us hope and courage.”
Moved to tears, Miridi summed up the community’s feelings with a heartfelt plea to the church leadership: “Do not tire of doing good.”
More than Just Food Delivered
The intervention in Nyunzu was a prelude to a broader pastoral presence. Beyond material aid, Ngoy spent his Christmas season in the muddy camps for internally displaced people in Katanika, Mushaba and Eliya, near Kalemie, where more than 500 families — including United Methodists — live in dire conditions.
He said his visits revealed urgent challenges: hunger, lack of clean water, poor sanitation, inadequate shelter, disease outbreaks, lack of medical care and trauma. Ngoy donated a cow to each refugee camp, as well as food items and clothing.
Despite difficulties, men and women find strength in faith and solidarity. “We support each other, participate in community work and encourage solidarity,” Kalenga Feruzi said.
Safi Davina agreed. “Prayer becomes a source of resilience, while solidarity among women creates a network of mutual support. Together, we encourage each other, share our burdens and nurture hope.”
Pascaline Mwamini said that the church must continue to support women and children in particular by providing humanitarian aid, health services and spiritual support.
The bishop said that “only by moving forward together can we bring about lasting change, rooted in faith, compassion and justice.
Your Donations Help
Your gifts on UMCOR Sunday helps support the foundation for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) so that they can provide lifesaving grants to people suffering from disasters around the world.
excerpt from a story by Jenovic Mandandj, communications officer for the Tanganyika Conference and Kudzai Chingwe, communications officer for the Eastern Zimbabwe Conference.
This story shows the impact of UMCOR Sunday—one of six United Methodist Special Sundays with offerings—to ensure that help and hope reach those in crisis. Your gifts cover the administrative costs of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), so that 100% of other donations can go directly to disaster response and humanitarian aid. Together, we make it possible for the Church to respond swiftly and faithfully when the world needs care most.
When you give generously on UMCOR Sunday, you sustain the ministry that enables the Church to bring God’s love and practical help to disaster-stricken communities.
