Humanitarian crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a forgotten tragedy
The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently the scene of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Unfortunately, this tragic situation is too often underestimated and insufficiently covered by the international media.
For several months, the population of eastern DRC has been trapped in unprecedented violence, victims of attacks perpetrated with complete impunity. Famine, forced displacements and violence are reaching alarming levels, in a climate of international indifference and media disinterest.
The Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Jan Egeland, recently warned of this critical situation. He deplores the lack of attention given to this unprecedented humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, and warns of the dramatic consequences of this indifference.
Ituri province, in particular, is plagued by devastating violence. Armed groups have caused the displacement of more than 550,000 people in just a few months. The attacks continue to multiply, causing many innocent victims.
The financial resources needed to deal with this crisis are sorely lacking. To date, less than a third of the planned funding for the humanitarian response in the DRC has been received. Humanitarian organizations are faced with a harrowing dilemma, forced to make difficult choices about what aid to provide.
The humanitarian crisis in the DRC is also having a devastating impact on children’s education. More than 750,000 children in Ituri have seen their education interrupted due to the conflict. This deprivation of education exposes these children to many dangers, such as exploitation, forced marriages and recruitment by armed groups.
Faced with this disastrous situation, it is urgent that the international community intervene financially, politically and diplomatically to bridge the gap between the available resources and the needs on the ground. It is also essential to put in place measures to protect civilians, in order to put an end to the impunity enjoyed by armed groups.
It is time to highlight this forgotten crisis in eastern DRC, to raise public awareness and to act to alleviate the suffering of the population. Because every life matters and every person affected by this crisis deserves our attention and our support. There is an urgent need not to look the other way and take concrete action to end this forgotten tragedy