One often imagines that the situation of civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is that of displaced and vulnerable people living in camps. But the reality is far more complex, since many people are given temporary shelter by host families. With each new wave of displacement or of people returning home, the whole population becomes more vulnerable.

In the areas where we carried out our nutrition assessment, the majority of displaced people have almost nothing. They are staying with host families or in public buildings and they go out each day looking for gainful activity in a context where the labour market is saturated and pay very low. Their everyday concern is to find food.

How has the local population been affected by this situation?

The residents are not much better off than the displaced, for they too have had to leave their homes several times since the month of September to escape the fighting. Around Kamandi, for example, in South Lubero, the population has been forced to move three times since April 2008, for periods ranging from one week to two months. Harvest time in this area is in November and December, and this year the yield was poor because of a lack of rain. For all these reasons, the residents have not been able to grow enough food to meet even their own needs.

Because of the poor security conditions it is difficult for people to go to market, which means they cannot sell what they harvest or buy any food they might need. Civilians are also subjected to thievery and forced by certain armed groups on the main roads to hand over money.

Despite all these difficulties, the residents share what little food they have with displaced families.

What are the consequences of the situation?

Well, to give you another example, instead of eating three times a day as usual, the families living in these areas are now eating on average just one meal a day. The nutritional value of the meals is not the same either, since it has become difficult to buy certain commonly consumed foods.

We have also noticed a general impoverishment of the population in these areas. Some families, when they were first displaced, were forced to find alternative ways of making ends meet. Some, for example, had to sell items of clothing, send fewer children to school or, in the event of illness, choose between eating or seeking medical attention.

Harvests were poor because of security conditions, and people could not set aside enough seed to plant during the next growing season. If outside aid is not forthcoming and if security is not restored in the area, the economic and nutritional situation of the area's population will unfortunately continue to deteriorate over the long term.

What was most striking to you during your assessment of the conflict-affected areas?

At the beginning of the assessment I encountered a young woman burning with fever who had three young children. Her husband had been killed by armed men a few months before, and she had been forced to set out in search of a safer place to live. When she arrived in South Lubero she went to work for a farmer, for a pittance. She became exhausted and fell ill, but because she had so little money she chose not to see a doctor so as to be able to buy food for her children.

On this assignment I came to realize that this kind of thing is very common. These men and women all face painful choices. I sincerely admire the courage of Congolese women, who work hard and make enormous sacrifices to provide for their families.