them and those

“The expansion of industrial-scale cobalt and copper mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has led to the forced eviction of entire communities and grievous human rights abuses including sexual assault, arson and beatings.” - Amnesty International

“The Democratic Republic of Congo has been facing political instability and armed violence since 1996, with an estimated six million people killed since the conflict began. In March 2022 the M23 armed group launched a new offensive and seized territory in eastern DRC, displacing more than a million people.” - Al Jazeera

“Following years of economic and political decline and two regional wars, people in Congo continue to face extreme violence, massive displacement, and widespread rape. The conflicts caused an estimated 5.4 million deaths, mostly as a result of disease and malnutrition.” - Rescue International Committee

here are some organizations on the ground supporting Congolese people: Heal Africa provides holistic healthcare and wellbeing services, Panzi Foundation supports survivors of sexual violence, Mavuno supports agriculture and small business development, Yole!Africa empowers youth through art, education, and activism, UCOFEM supports women in media and journalism.

“On the 15th of April, 2023, fighting broke out in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forced (SAF) and a powerful paramilitary faction, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Clashes spread across the nation of Sudan, and the civilian populace is caught in the middle.”

this is the place and the people and the joy

reporting on the war:

• NPR

• UN OCHA

• MSF

donate:

• Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA)

• UN Crisis Relief - goes to Sudan Humanitarian Fund

• IOM Un Migration

• SIHA Network - menstrual products for refugees

good news for people whose ability to offer support right now is primarily financial, the above is a thread explaining and demonstrating how to get an eSIM to reconnect someone in Gaza with examples of journalists coming back online in the past few hours due to this technology. if you know someone in Gaza or theres someone able to help distribute QR codes whom you can get in contact with, these may help combat the blackout and loss of contact / news, and allow families to reestablish communication

edit: general internet has been restored!

the internet access was restored, but folks on the ground are making provisions to avoid being completely cut off from the world and each other again, so esims are still a good way to help.

short version of the process:

1. choose an esim company. these were named specifically: nomad, holafly, simly, numero. downloading the corresponding app will make the process smoother for you, folks report.

2. choose a data plan in an area closest to Palestine. it could be Palestine, Middle East, Israel, or Egypt. select duration and data amount, folks usually choose the biggest package available.

3. agree to terms of service and other requirements and pay. if you are directed to download something or take other action, disregard that - company assumes you are the one using the esim.

4. receive an email with a QR code to activate the esim. send it to Mirna El Helbawi and folks at gazaesims@gmail.com and they will distribute your code to folks in need.

Mirna’s tweet describing the process:

if you can’t access twitter, there is a version to access the info on a different blog:

folks are being called to support the boycott divestment sanctions (bds) movement now through targeted boycotts of companies profiting off of Israel crimes.

paradox_punch twitter user is collecting links to brands that either support Palestine, donate their revenue to Palestine, or are Palestinian themselves. here is a selection of Palestinian businesses to support:

• Darzah, handmade authentic accessories and shoes

• Dar Collective, clothes brand by and for diaspora folks

• El Bustan, lifestyle shop

• Olive & Heart, candle shop

• Watan, arts store

• Tatreez and Tea, embroidery and sewing store

• Nominal, jewelry

• Zaytoun, food and snacks

• Paliroots, fashion and accessories

• KUVRD, streetwear

• West Bank Apparel, clothing and jewelry

• PurePali, streetwear clothing brand

• West Bank Hoodie, clothing

• ANAT, slow fashion

• Deerah, cultural clothing

• Nol Collective, fashion

• Meera Adnan, clothing and accessories brand

• Holy Land Boutique, handcrafted goods

• Balady stitch shop, embroidery Etsy store

• Fyrouzi, handcrafted ceramics

• Handmade Palestine, gifts

• Hilweh Market, artisanal boutique

• Women in Hebron, embroidery and gifts

• Inaash, embroidery and fashion

• Reemami, fashion brand

• Falastini Brand, fashion and accessories

• Suzy Tamimi, fashion designer

• Taqa, clothing brand

• Shireen Salman Design, decor and accessories Etsy store