Part of this campaign includes the Gimme Shelter film, produced by Affleck and cinematographer John Toll, which portrays daily life for the victims of the conflict in the North Kivu region. The Rolling Stones donated the Gimme Shelter song to the cause as well.

Renewed violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has triggered a humanitarian crisis forcing more than 250,000 people, many of them already displaced, to flee their homes, bringing a forgotten crisis to the world’s attention.

In the last three months alone, hundreds of thousands of innocent children, women and men displaced by the conflict have lost their homes, their belongings, their family, their friends and their hope.
-UNHCR

The following photos were taken at the Nakivale refugee settlement, some 300km away from the Congolese boarder, hosting refugees mainly from the DRC, Rwanda, Somalia, Burundi, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Nakivale is the settlement that is receiving all newly arrived Congolese refugees in Uganda, the Kabazana Reception Center being located inside the settlement, where refugees receive hot meals and basic health care.

UNHCR hopes the Gimme Shelter campaign will help raise US$23 million in 2009 to pay for clean water supplies and emergency humanitarian assistance kits for tens of thousands of internally displaced Congolese.

©ZALMAÏ 2008 for UNHCR

©ZALMAÏ 2008 for UNHCR

©ZALMAÏ 2008 for UNHCR

©ZALMAÏ 2008 for UNHCR

©ZALMAÏ 2008 for UNHCR

Finally, the UNHCR is encouraging everyone to spread the word by sharing the short film and photos that we’ve displayed here.

Help us and Ben Affleck bring attention to the plight of North Kivu’s displaced civilians. All you have to do is post UNHCR photos of this humanitarian crisis on your blogs, websites and social media platforms. This will help raise public awareness about the suffering and needs of the displaced as well as giving hope to those whose lives have been affected.
-UNCHR

For more information, check out unhcrshelter.org, unhcr.org, or the UNHCR Gimme Shelter photo collection on Flickr.

Magical Places Fine Art interviewed Wainwright about his trip. Wainwright gives some insight into his photographic techniques as well as some of the challenges associated with documenting a difficult story.

When you’re sweating profusely and stuck thigh deep in mud looking up at ‘fellow miners’ grinning away after telling you it is safe to cross a mud pit you realize you have made some sort of connection. I met incredibly articulate miners who told me about their lives and how war, corruption and gold has decimated their lives.

Check out some of the photos on CAFOD’s “Pure Gold?” website and on BBC News.

Fighting in North Kivu is threatening the lives of children. Tens of thousands of children have been displaced in the last weeks, in the confusion of flight children have been separated from their parents. Already malnourished children are now even more vulnerable. In the crowded makeshift camps measles and cholera are growing dangers. Thousands of children are unable to start the school year. Armed groups are using at least a 1000 children and more are being recruited.
UNICEF, through a network of partners, is assisting 60,000 people around Muganga and Minova in the Kivus. UNICEF is identifying separated children and reunifying them with their families. Rape survivors are being given medical and psychosocial support. Clean water distribution and latrines have been set up. Displaced families have received temporary shelter materials, bedding and cooking sets. All children under the age of 14 are being vaccinated against measles and pregnant women against neo natal tetanus. 2000 children have been screened for malnutrition. Emergency education programmes have started.

UNICEF’s partners are AVSI, Caritas, the International Rescue Committee, Heal Africa, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children UK, Solidarités, World Vision International and the provincial health service of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

UNICEF has assisted 350,000 displaced persons since the start of fighting in Sake last November. UNICEF’s actions are part of a coordinated response with other UN organizations; Office Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, World Food Programme, World Health Organisation & The Mission of the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite all this the majority of displaced persons remain inaccessible due to the fighting. UNICEF calls upon all parties to the conflict to; protect the rights of children, end the recruitment of children and ensure humanitarian access to all displaced persons.

“As we drove we saw trucks carrying troops and munitions heading towards the hills and coming the other way families fleeing with their few possessions.” -Julien Harneis

“Because of war swathes of Fizi territory, South Kivu, were abandoned between 1998 and 2006. During that time houses and schools were burnt, the adobe bricks melting back into the earth from which they came.

With AVSI and the community UNICEF is rehabilitating or rebuilding 7 schools in the south east of the territory. We monitored 2 school construction sites in Kilembwe. On the site the builders were digging out the rich red earth, wetting it, moulding it and baking it, to make the bricks of the new school. I watched in fascination as the raw materials of a school were coaxed out of the earth.” -Julien Harneis

“As we were leaving Minembwe the entire school from a neighbouring village some 15km arrived to pick up cement. WarChild Canada is supporting a community school rehabilitation and the children were part of the community participation.” -Julien Harneis

For more information, see ReliefWeb.org and Julien Harneis’ photos on Flickr.