The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is in the grip of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis since the resurgence of the M23 in 2022. One million people have been displaced in just one year, causing an exponential increase in humanitarian needs in the North province -Kivu and Ituri. Faced with this alarming situation, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC and Coordinator of Humanitarian Action, Bruno Lemarquis, called for increased mobilization in favor of the populations suffering in these regions.
During a two-day mission to Goma, Bruno Lemarquis met with ambassadors from several countries and agency heads of humanitarian organizations to mobilize them in favor of the humanitarian response and a lasting resolution of the crisis. He stressed the need for a more robust, coordinated and efficient humanitarian response to meet the exponential amount of needs in the provinces of North Kivu, Ituri and Lubero. This response requires the mobilization of increased resources and international pressure on donors.
Despite an increase in humanitarian needs over the past 12 months, the humanitarian response is only 50% funded in the DRC, further exacerbating the crisis. Bruno Lemarquis insisted on the importance of mobilizing resources to put the DRC under the radar so that it receives the same attention as other populations in need. Its mission in the DRC was therefore articulated around the idea of increased mobilization to respond to the humanitarian crisis, currently one of the greatest challenges in the region.