Russ Feingold: “I rise today to bring my colleagues' attention to the desperate situation of the people of Goma in the Democratic…”

“I rise today to bring my colleagues' attention to the desperate situation of the people of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A natural disaster recently added to the man-made tragedies that have already had a profound effect on the population in and around Goma. Basic human decency demands that the United States and the international community take prompt action to provide relief to the Congolese people, and to help them in their efforts to rebuild their communities. On January 17, Mount Nyiragongo, which is situated in the eastern part of the country near Lake Kivu, erupted and eventually produced several different paths of lava, including one that ran directly through Goma, destroying one-fifth to one-third of the city and displacing over 200,000 people. Some 62,500 people's homes were destroyed, and reports indicate that hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs, their places of work utterly destroyed. It appears that scores lost their lives. For days, the displaced suffered without assistance, desperately searching for food, water, and shelter.”