Friends of Kisoro is a community-based organization that provides psychosocial support and mental health care to refugees in the UNHCR Nyakabande Transit Camp and to the host community in Kisoro, Uganda. Refugees in the transit camp are fleeing violence from the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The conflict in the DRC remains one of the world's most unrecognized, yet deadly and protracted humanitarian crises. For nearly 3 decades, the region has been devastated by political instability, armed conflict, sexual violence and widespread human rights violations, resulting in approximately six million deaths .

Currently, a rare and deadly strain of Ebola is spreading rapidly across the region, and communities already living through conflict and displacement are now facing a new emergency. Local health workers are doing everything they can, but they are overwhelmed. Violence, instability, and limited access to remote areas are making it even harder to contain the outbreak before it accelerates further.

International support has been scarce, especially after major funding cuts from the United States have reduced resources for outbreak response and preparedness. With fewer partners on the ground, frontline teams lack protective equipment, transportation, treatment supplies, and the ability to reach families in high‑risk zones.

Just across the border in Uganda, Friends of Kisoro and partners at the Nyakabande Transit Camp are on the front lines of this growing emergency. With your support, they can equip health workers with essential protective gear, bring in additional mental health staff, and offer a path toward healing for refugees who have endured unimaginable violence and displacement.