Article: Floods and landslides: the Democratic Republic of Congo receives humanitarian aid from the UN
Torrential rains have caused flooding and landslides in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), causing loss of life and massive displacement of populations. Faced with the emergency, the Rwandan government received a donation of 1.5 million dollars from the United Nations (UN).
Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, announced the contribution of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support relief efforts in the affected region. The money allocated will make it possible to meet needs in terms of food security, health care and the purchase of reconstruction materials and basic household items.
Although the UN contribution is a commendable gesture, it may be insufficient to meet the needs of the affected population. Heavy rains also caused a tragedy in the territory of Kalehe where more than 438 people died and more than 5000 are missing, according to the official report.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, has called on the international community to mobilize the necessary funds to respond to the scale of the disaster. In this context, it is essential that governments and international humanitarian organizations work hand in hand to provide adequate and effective assistance to the populations affected by this disaster.
In sum, the UN’s humanitarian response is necessary, but must be accompanied by other initiatives to deal with the consequences of the floods and landslides in the DRC. It is important to stress that natural disasters pose constant challenges to the Congolese government and require a faster and more robust response from the international community.