One of my colleagues in the DR congo was recently on a field trip, for a construction project. Some of the photos above show you some of the challenges the team faced as they tried to drive across the Congolese roads.
Immediately you can see some of the problems faced by the DR Congo, particularly the Eastern Congo. The infrastructure is just devastated. Kemal Saiki, a United Nations spokesman, said recently that the Democratic Republic of the Congo does not "even have 2,000 miles of roads" . That is staggering, for a country the size of Western Europe.
For a distance of 210km, from Isiro to Dungu, it can take 2 days to travel one way when its been raining. You may think I exaggerate, but as you look at the photos above, you can see what the reality looks like for most people here in the DRC.
Infact, most people who do travel domestically in the Congo travel by air. Its by far the quickest way to get around, though not an always very safe way to travel. The domestic airlines here have an appaling safety record.
For wealthy `mizungus` like myself this doesnt really present a problem, as Medair, my organisation can pay for flights with international carriers, such as MAF or we can get access to donor flights. For the majority of Congolese though, it presents massive challenges. Conflict ongoing for the last 12/13 years has exacerbated the problem. As you can imagine, it can be very difficult to reach people in rural, remote communities, especially when you have cargo such as medical aid to deliver. Also, when there is an emergency what do these people do? its not always that easy for them to get the help they need.
Private and commercial road transport is almost non-existent and traffic is scarce. The few vehicles in use are run by the UN, aid agencies, the DRC government, and a few larger companies such as those in the mining and energy sectors. It makes it very difficult for thousands of people to get access to clinics, hospitals and sometimes shelter. Most people travel by bike, or just walk.
I hope to be going on a field trip of my own in the next couple of weeks so I will have some stories of my own. But i would recommend Tim Butchers Blood River - a pretty vivid account of what it can be like travelling across the Congo
Immediately you can see some of the problems faced by the DR Congo, particularly the Eastern Congo. The infrastructure is just devastated. Kemal Saiki, a United Nations spokesman, said recently that the Democratic Republic of the Congo does not "even have 2,000 miles of roads" . That is staggering, for a country the size of Western Europe.
For a distance of 210km, from Isiro to Dungu, it can take 2 days to travel one way when its been raining. You may think I exaggerate, but as you look at the photos above, you can see what the reality looks like for most people here in the DRC.
Infact, most people who do travel domestically in the Congo travel by air. Its by far the quickest way to get around, though not an always very safe way to travel. The domestic airlines here have an appaling safety record.
For wealthy `mizungus` like myself this doesnt really present a problem, as Medair, my organisation can pay for flights with international carriers, such as MAF or we can get access to donor flights. For the majority of Congolese though, it presents massive challenges. Conflict ongoing for the last 12/13 years has exacerbated the problem. As you can imagine, it can be very difficult to reach people in rural, remote communities, especially when you have cargo such as medical aid to deliver. Also, when there is an emergency what do these people do? its not always that easy for them to get the help they need.
Private and commercial road transport is almost non-existent and traffic is scarce. The few vehicles in use are run by the UN, aid agencies, the DRC government, and a few larger companies such as those in the mining and energy sectors. It makes it very difficult for thousands of people to get access to clinics, hospitals and sometimes shelter. Most people travel by bike, or just walk.
I hope to be going on a field trip of my own in the next couple of weeks so I will have some stories of my own. But i would recommend Tim Butchers Blood River - a pretty vivid account of what it can be like travelling across the Congo
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