The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to worsen. Ambassadors from several countries and heads of humanitarian organizations met during a mission to Goma to discuss the urgency of the situation. Bruno Lemarquis, the deputy special representative of the UN secretary general in the DRC and coordinator of humanitarian action, called for mobilization for the populations of North Kivu and Ituri.
The humanitarian response must be more robust, coordinated and effective, as the amount of needs has increased exponentially in the provinces of North Kivu, Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, Masisi as well as Lubero. The resurgence of M23 has led to more than a million displacements in the region in one year. The situation in Ituri is also considered extremely difficult. To meet these needs, Lemarquis stressed the need to mobilize more resources and increase pressure from donors.
These needs have been exacerbated by recent floods which have resulted in thousands of victims requiring urgent humanitarian assistance. The challenges facing the DRC are multiple and require coordinated and sustained action by humanitarian organizations and donors.
However, the crisis in the DRC tends to be underestimated and methodically ignored by international public opinion. The media tends to focus on political issues, often neglecting the critical importance of humanitarian issues. It is therefore essential to continue to highlight the needs and challenges of the DRC to ensure a sustainable and effective response to the humanitarian crisis in the east of the country.
Finally, elections are approaching in the DRC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced that voter registration has taken place. Although major difficulties have been reported, in particular due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the security situation, this registration is essential to guarantee reliable and credible elections in the DRC. The process must be closely monitored and donors must continue to support the DRC in this process of democratic transition