US$ 718 Million needed to restore hope to vulnerable people in the Democratic Republic of Congo

(Kinshasa/Geneva/New York, 1 February 2012): The humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has appealed for US$718 million to provide emergency assistance in 2012 to hundreds of thousands of Congolese.

“Hundreds of thousands of Congolese turn today to the international community for much-needed assistance that should not only allow them to access food, potable water, health care, protection and education, but also help them to regain hope necessary to rebuild their lives with dignity,” Humanitarian Coordinator Fidèle Sarassoro said during the ceremony in Bukavu, in the eastern Province of South Kivu.

The DRC 2012 Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) represents the common strategy of humanitarian organizations, including United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. This allows them to respond in a coordinated manner to the numerous humanitarian needs of affected people, and to restore hope to families and communities whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted by conflicts, epidemics, natural disasters and lack of access to basic social services.

In 2011, the mobilization of humanitarian actors and donor generosity allowed for an effective response to different humanitarian challenges. Despite the many constraints that humanitarian actors face, especially regarding security and logistics, over 7 million people benefited from health-care services, including those people affected by cholera. Over 200,000 children in conflict zones continued to have access to education; over 3 million people received food assistance, including 1.1 million children through school-feeding programmes; more than 2 million people received safe drinking water, and more than 500,000 people, mainly in rural areas, have benefited from a food production support programme.

This year’s appeal HAP takes place amid a challenging economic and financial context. Humanitarian actors hope that this will not affect humanitarian funding, as it would put millions of lives at risk.

“We urgently need the continued support of people and governments around the world to help those desperately in need,” said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos during the December launch of the 2012 Consolidated Appeal. The $7.7 billion appeal is in response to 16 emergencies, including in the DRC.

The HAP 2012 seeks to more effectively complement the different ongoing stabilization and development programmes in the DRC. Better coordination between humanitarian, stabilization and development activities would prevent humanitarian actors from intervening in emergencies that result from chronic or structural problems. It would also prevent recovering communities from slipping into humanitarian crises.

For further information, please call:

OCHA Kinshasa:

Yvon Edoumou, +243 97 000 3750 / +243 82 242 6342,edoumou@un.org;

Medard Lobota, +243 99 290 6633 , lobota@un.org