UN agencies warn of worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis in eastern DR Congo
31 January 2025
Geneva/Kinshasa – UN agencies are warning of a worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where ongoing conflict and displacement have left millions of people in need of assistance.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on Monday that the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in eastern DRC has increased by 20% since the beginning of the year, to more than 5.6 million.
The statement said that the increase in need is due to a number of factors, including the ongoing conflict between government forces and armed groups, the displacement of people from their homes, and the lack of access to basic services.
“The humanitarian situation in eastern DRC is alarming,” said David Gressly, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for DRC. “Millions of people are in need of food, water, shelter, and other basic necessities. The conflict is also having a devastating impact on the human rights of civilians, with reports of summary executions, sexual violence, and arbitrary detention.”
The UN agencies are calling for an immediate end to the violence and for increased humanitarian access to the affected areas. They are also calling on the government of DRC to uphold its obligations under international law to protect civilians and to provide assistance to those in need.
The UN agencies are also concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in eastern DRC, where there have been reports of arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings by security forces.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said in a statement on Monday that the human rights crisis in eastern DRC is “a stain on our collective conscience.”
“I urge the government of DRC to take immediate steps to address the human rights abuses that are taking place in the country,” said Bachelet. “The people of eastern DRC deserve to live in peace and security, and to have their human rights respected.”
The UN agencies are calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners, an end to the use of torture and arbitrary detention, and an investigation into the allegations of extrajudicial killings.
The humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC is the result of a long-standing conflict between government forces and armed groups. The conflict has been fueled by a number of factors, including the presence of natural resources, ethnic tensions, and political instability.
The conflict has had a devastating impact on the people of eastern DRC, with millions of people displaced from their homes and in need of humanitarian assistance. The conflict has also had a significant impact on the region’s economy, with many businesses closing and trade disrupted.
The UN agencies are calling for an immediate end to the conflict and for a lasting peace settlement. They are also calling for increased humanitarian access to the affected areas and for the government of DRC to uphold its obligations under international law to protect civilians and to provide assistance to those in need.
UN agencies warn of worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis in eastern DR Congo
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