Congo’s humanitarian catastrophe set to significantly worsen, UNICEF’s regional chief warns

GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO/DAKAR, SENEGAL, 05 DECEMBER 2022 – The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to significantly escalate, a senior UNICEF official has warned.

The United Nations Children agency’s West and Central Africa Regional Director Marie-Pierre Poirier said that children are facing growing danger in the east as conflict, cholera and measles outbreaks are spreading. This situation could rapidly spiral out of control particularly in overcrowded sites, hosting almost 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), with very limited sanitation facilities.

“The scale of the crisis and lack of protection of IDPs is alarming,” Ms. Poirier said during a visit to North and South Kivu provinces.

“There is now a total of 5.7 million IDPs in the DRC – the overwhelming majority of whom are in the east, because of fighting that has raged throughout this year provoking over 1.5 million new IDPs, with more than half who are children.

“The harm caused to children is absolutely shocking.” Ms. Poirier said that it is imperative that the world does not overlook the suffering caused by the latest crisis, which has resulted in thousands of people taking refuge in overcrowded and unsanitary informal settlements on volcanic lava sites.

“The international community must act now to address this major protection crisis,” she said.

Children are the main victims, facing separation from families, recruitment by armed groups and massive ever-growing level of gender-based violence. Children cannot wait for protection!

Ms. Poirier also warned that all of Goma was gravely at risk from a rapidly spreading cholera outbreak. Last week, almost 170 suspected cholera cases have been identified in North Kivu province, most of them children. Without prompt care, cholera can kill within hours.

Today, as part of UNICEF’s Global Humanitarian Action for Children appeal (HAC) for 2023, the Regional Director’s is launching UNICEF HAC for Democratic Republic of Congo in Goma. UNICEF requires US$862.4 million to meet the acute needs of more than 8 million children in the country.

As part of the appeal, UNICEF aims to reach:

• 11 million children under 5 years of age with measles vaccination;
• 3.4 million people with access to safe water;
• 2 million children and caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support;
• 1.7 million children with education;
• 1.1 million people with essential household items;
• 996,000 children with treatment for severe acute malnutrition.

Ms. Poirier said that timely, flexible and multi-year funding is essential to alleviate the suffering of Congolese children, and that UNICEF will continue to provide integrated, life-saving assistance while building countrywide community resilience and social cohesion to pave the way for longer-term initiatives and promote peace and development.

“The welfare of children in the DRC will always be our top priority. Children cannot wait. We must act now!” Ms. Poirier said.