Nairobi, Kenya - The humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has appealed for US$718 million to provide emergency assistance in 2012 to hundreds of thousands of Congolese, the UN humanitarian office there said late Thursday.

“Hundreds of thousands of Congolese turn today to the international community for much-needed assistance that should not only allow them to access food, potable water, health care, protection and education, but also help them to regain hope necessary to rebuild their lives with dignity,” Humanitarian Coordinator Fidèle Sarassoro said in Bukavu, in the eastern Province of South Kivu. 

The DRC 2012 Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) represents the common strategy of humanitarian organizations, including United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations.

This allows them to respond in a coordinated manner to the numerous humanitarian needs of affected people, and to restore hope to families and communities whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted by conflicts, epidemics, natural disasters and lack of access to basic social services.

In 2011, the mobilization of humanitarian actors and donor generosity allowed for an effective response to different humanitarian challenges. Despite the many constraints that humanitarian actors face, especially regarding security and logistics, over 7 million people benefited from health-care services, including those people affected by cholera.

Over 200,000 children in conflict zones continued to have access to education; over 3 million people received food assistance, including 1.1 million children through school-feeding programmes; more than 2 million people received safe drinking water, and more than 500,000 people, mainly in rural areas, have benefited from a food production support programme. 

This year’s appeal takes place amid a challenging economic and financial context. Humanitarian actors hope that this will not affect humanitarian funding, as it would put millions of lives at risk.

Pana 03/02/2012