Statement attributable to the Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Sergio Vieira de Mello on the first assessment mission to Kinkala
It was with great concern that I learned
of reports of the disastrous humanitarian conditions in Kinkala, the Republic
of the Congo, where thousands of IDPs are close to death due to severe
food shortages. In recent weeks, up to 10 people have succumbed daily to
starvation.
A humanitarian assessment mission traveled
to Kinkala on Wednesday, 29 September. The mission, the first by the UN
since the outbreak of fighting in December last year, included relief workers
from UNDP, OCHA, WHO, FAO, WFP and UNICEF as well as donor and government
representatives. Owing to the prevailing insecurity in the region the Government
provided the mission with a military escort. The only aid these populations
have received include some food aid from WFP and medicines provided by
UNICEF and WHO which were delivered by Caritas on two occasions during
the last two weeks.
I appeal to the donor community to provide urgent and generous funding to UN humanitarian agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations in the Republic of the Congo to enable them to provide the much needed food aid and medicines recommended by the assessment mission.