The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently in the throes of one of the most serious and complex humanitarian crises of our time. According to Bruno Lemarquis, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC, this crisis has been going on for over 30 years and is unfortunately often overlooked by the media and the international community.
With an alarming 6.4 million internally displaced people, the DRC ranks among the countries most affected by mass displacement in Africa. The situation is particularly critical in the Goma region of North Kivu, where over 750,000 people are living in extremely precarious conditions, facing serious health problems, sexual violence and other forms of exploitation.
In addition to mass displacement, other crises, such as the ADF activism in the far north and the Codeco-Zaire conflicts in Ituri, continue to create urgent humanitarian needs. Violations of international humanitarian rights and gender-based violence are commonplace, with more than 60,000 survivors of violence received in care centers, 40% of whom are children. These atrocities have devastating consequences, particularly on the education of displaced children, an area where the country records an alarming number of lost generations.
Faced with this unprecedented humanitarian crisis, the international community has mobilized 964.9 million US dollars of the 2.6 billion needed. Bruno Lemarquis stressed the importance of increased investment to find sustainable solutions and called on the Congolese government to become more involved alongside donors to put an end to this tragedy. It is essential to work together to bring peace and development to a region that so badly needs it.
However, there are many constraints to humanitarian access in the DRC, such as widespread insecurity, intercommunal conflicts, the presence of armed groups, geographical access difficulties and bureaucratic obstacles imposed by local and national authorities. Unfortunately, despite these challenges, the Congolese government’s financial contribution to the humanitarian response has significantly decreased this year, highlighting the urgency of increased resource mobilization to address this growing humanitarian crisis.
In conclusion, the humanitarian crisis in the DRC is a tragedy that requires urgent and concerted action by the international community, local and national authorities, humanitarian organizations and civil society. It is time to redouble our efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of the millions of people affected by this crisis and to build a better future for all people in the DRC.