The Airport in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo - A Welthungerhilfe-Project

More information: http://www.welthungerhilfe.de/en/project-congo-reconstruction.html Goma is the biggest city in Easter Congo – with a population of half a million. The Goma airport is located in the middle of town. In January 2002 the volcano Niyragongo erupted and buried large parts of the city and the airport under massive layers of lava. Although parts of the runway cannot be used anymore, the pilots keep using it to take off and land planes. The location of the Goma airport makes the situation for the residents particularly dangerous. In 2008 a plane shot over the end of the runway into the city and killed 47 people – most of the dead were visitors to the local market. The reconstruction of the runway started not till seven years after the volcanic eruption. The Department for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany financed the construction work, while the Welthungerhilfe conducted it on-site. It was a long and difficult process until the project could be finalized. The construction work was disrupted by disputes between the regular army and the M23-Militia in 2012. The first step towards the reconstruction of the Goma airport was finally completed in February 2015. Prospective developments are the entire asphalt coating, an extension and the professional illumination of the runway. In future the people in Goma will profit from more security, a connection to the international air traffic and economic development. Projects by/with: Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V., Auswärtiges Amt, Régie des Voies Aérienne, Sapsama, Safricas