DR Congo emergency: Next 24 hours are critical, warn UN agencies
28 January 2025 12:00
GENEVA/KINSHASA (28 January 2025) – The next 24 hours are critical for averting a major humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after an outbreak of violence displaced thousands of people in Masisi territory, North Kivu province.
Fighting between armed groups and government forces has forced an estimated 80,000 people to flee their homes since 20 January, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The majority of the displaced are women and children, who are particularly vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse.
“We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of the displaced population,” said UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch. “They are in urgent need of food, water, shelter and other essential supplies.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is coordinating the humanitarian response and has deployed staff to the affected area to assess the needs of the displaced population and provide assistance.
“The humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke. “We need urgent access to the affected areas to deliver life-saving assistance.”
The UN agencies are calling on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and to allow safe passage for humanitarian workers to reach the displaced population.
“The next 24 hours are critical,” said Laerke. “We need to act now to prevent a major humanitarian crisis.”
Background
The DRC has been plagued by conflict for decades, and the recent outbreak of violence in Masisi territory is just the latest in a series of crises that have displaced millions of people.
The conflict in the DRC is complex, with a number of different armed groups vying for control of the country’s natural resources. The government has been accused of human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings.
The UN has been working to mediate a peace agreement between the government and the armed groups, but so far these efforts have not been successful.
The humanitarian crisis in the DRC is one of the most severe in the world, with millions of people in need of food, water, shelter and other essential supplies. The UN is appealing for $2.2 billion to fund its humanitarian response in the DRC in 2025.
DR Congo emergency: Next 24 hours are critical, warn UN agencies
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