OCHA organizes relief flight for Republic of Congo

(New York: 3 September 2003): Between May and August 2003, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) facilitated several inter-agency humanitarian assessment missions to the Pool region of the Republic of Congo with the cooperation of the government. These missions revealed that the Pool region may be out of political crisis, but remains in acute humanitarian crisis. Infrastructure has been completely destroyed, sanitation is seriously lacking, the health and nutritional situation is of grave concern and children are dying of acute malnutrition. There are immediate needs for non-food items such as shelter material and blankets, as well as for drinking water and sanitation facilities and food for the affected population.
The Republic of Congo has been experiencing armed conflicts for the past decade. While peace has been restored in the country, the Pool region is still suffering from the ravages of war. Recently the Pool region was affected by fierce fighting between government forces and the Ninja rebels as well as large-scale looting from March 2002 to March 2003.

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, Solidarity and Humanitarian Action, the number of IDPs is estimated to be up to 100,000. This number is expected to increase as the population has fled into the forest and is returning to their villages, only to find that their homes have been destroyed and their crops devastated. Further, reconstruction remains a challenge for the population; due to large scale looting, many are without working tools such as hoes, machetes, and axes.

The health situation is also a major concern. NGOs on the ground report diseases such as measles, skin diseases, tuberculosis, and malaria. The death rate has increased significantly especially in Kindamba and Kimba. In other areas, the population must walk over 60 kilometres to reach NGO health centres.

The humanitarian community requested that OCHA organize a humanitarian flight to Brazzaville for the delivery of non-food items for distribution to the most vulnerable in the Pool region. OCHA has therefore organized a relief flight from the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Brindisi, Italy. The cargo contains relief items such as water storage and distribution equipment, tents, sanitation items, blankets and kitchen items. The flight is expected to arrive in Brazzaville today.

For further information, please contact:

Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, 41-22-917 2653
Stephanie Bunker, OCHA NY, 917 367 5126; 917 892 1679