A snapshot of the Consolidated Appeal for the Democratic Republic of the Congo for 2000

How much is required
Total of US$ 71.3 million for:

Health & Nutrition: US$ 36.8 million; Protection of children: US$ 5.5 million;

Food security: US$ 5.2 million; Refugees: US$ 5 million; Human Rights: US$ 3.1 million;

Peace & Confidence Building: US$ 4.5 million; Coordination & Security Management: US$ 4.2 million; Emergency Humanitarian Interventions: US$ 6.7 million

WHERE IS IT HAPPENING?

  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been the theatre for one of the potentially most devastating regional conflicts of this decade. A whole array of insurgencies and armies recently agreed to a tenuous cease-fire after signing on to the Lusaka accord. This peace process is the only hope for sparing one of Africa's most populated regions, the Great Lakes, from protracted chaos and instability. The DRC has as neighbors the Central African Republic (North), the Sudan (Northeast), Uganda (Northeast), Rwanda (East), Burundi (East), the United Republic of Tanzania (East), Zambia (Southeast), Angola (Southwest) and the Republic of the Congo (Northwest).
  • The conflict has led to the depletion of entire towns particularly those close to the cease-fire line as well as the displacement of over one million persons within and across national borders and the use of children as soldiers.

WHAT IS OUR COMMON HUMANITARIAN ACTION PLAN?

  • To (a) address chronic humanitarian problems such as recurring epidemics, (b) provide life-saving aid in response to acute emergencies, (c) enhance rapid intervention capacity for humanitarian emergencies, (d) advocate for measures to address the accelerated economic decline and (e) implementation of humanitarian interventions in support of the peace process.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CONSTRAINTS WE FACE?

  • Access and Security: volatile despite progressive improvements
  • Funding: UN capacity to respond to identified needs restricted by lack of funding.

WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE?

  • Reverse sharp increase in epidemic diseases and increase access to both safe water currently at an average of 42% of the population and health services to which 26% of the population has access. Strengthen immunization systems covering some 12 million people.
  • Maintain nutritional feeding services for some 20,000 malnourished children and 15,000 malnourished pregnant women covered by a UNICEF network.
  • Improve food security conditions of some 350,000 IDPs and host communities by providing food aid, and distributing seeds and tools.
  • Advocate for the protection of children in the DRC of which 10,000-20,000 have been inducted as soldiers, 50,000 abandoned or on the streets of urban centers and 120,000 are displaced. Undertake a sustainable reintegration programme
  • Deploy human rights observers in conflict zones and support initiatives to reopen trade routes and the free circulation of persons and goods.
  • Address the basic needs of an estimated 260,000 refugees in the DRC from Sudan, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Rwanda.
  • Implement basic security arrangements for the deployment of relief workers. No funding has been received for security projects in the DRC in the last two Consolidated Appeals despite the particularly virulent military environment in which relief aid is being provided.
  • Reinforce the rapid response capacity of the humanitarian community to save lives and restore basic livelihoods through the emergency humanitarian intervention mechanism.


WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO NOT GET THE RESOURCES?

  • Almost 14 million people have been affected by the war in the DRC and the CAP will address the needs of some six million, i.e. 40% of the needy population. Lack of funds would mean that millions would be exposed to death or extremely inhuman conditions for survival;
  • UN agencies will be unable to provide much needed primary health care, reduce the impact of epidemics particularly among children and women of child bearing age or improve the capacity of local health workers to monitor the trends of communicable diseases including AIDS in IDP and refugee camps;
  • 350,000 people depending on food aid will be deprived of this fundamental assistance and activities to encourage self-reliance would be halted.
  • Mortality rates could easily double, at present infant mortality rate is at 127 per 1,000 and maternal mortality rates are at 1,800 per 100,00 live births.

Please find more information on the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeals for 2000 at http://www.reliefweb.int/appeals