The United Nations has appealed for $1.65 billion in funding to help provide humanitarian aid for 9 million people affected by fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Of this amount, the UN childrens agency requires $326 million to meet the needs of 4.3 million children in the crisis.
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock noted the improvement in the country’s situation, but said the humanitarian response ought to be sustained until lasting peace is achieved.
“The relatively peaceful political transition taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an opportunity that we must seize on. We can beat back the massive and protracted humanitarian crisis. But we urgently need donors to provide further generous funding as needs continue to outpace resources,” Lowcock Said.
UNICEF says that despite progress made in recent years including a drop in the number of children dying before age 5 and larger numbers being enrolled into school, the overall humanitarian situation remains alarming.
The agency says the number of people facing hunger jumped from 7.7 million in 2017 to 13 million last year. At least 4 million children are malnourished. Cholera, measles and Ebola continue to blight many lives.
Last year, the UN and partners reached 3.5 million people with assistance.
