By Daniel Itai.
Kinshasa, DRC. (News of The South) –
UNICEF is appealing for US$326 million to sustain provision of life-saving services for women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“As of December 2019, over 900 000 people were estimated to have been affected by floods across the DRC, of which 40 percent of affected persons were in Nord Ubang and Sud Ubangi provinces.
In the two provinces, the floods have caused significant material damage with over 32 000 houses destroyed, 632 water sources and 142 schools and health centers damaged.
30 129 cases of cholera have been recorded in 22 provinces of the DRC, of which 513 deaths were notified. During the reporting period, the most affected provinces were South Kivu, Haut Katanga, North Kivu, Tanganyika, Tshopo and Haut Lomami provinces, of which 660 out of the 714 cases were reported.
In Djugu territory, Ituri province, a total of 85 Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) cases have been documented after the peak of attacks in September 2019.
Internally displaced populations (IDPs) of population displacements were recorded in North Kivu as a result of violent militia clash. These incidents led to the displacement of more than 110 200 persons, who are currently living in host communities.
The affected populations live in precarious conditions with significant needs in health care, WASH, food, dignity kits for women and girls.
In the South Kivu province, over 91 250 IDPs fled from Minembwe (Fizi Territory) and Itombwe sector (Mwenga Territory) between September and November, towards the lower highlands and Tanganyika coastline in Fizi Territory, these mass population displacements have further exacerbated the living conditions of host communities.
316 550 cases of measles have been reported in all 26 provinces of the country, of which 6 102 deaths were recorded. The number of measles cases in DRC this year is more than triple the number recorded for all of 2018.
To date, 3 230 confirmed cases and 2 095 deaths linked to Ebola have been recorded in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri,” read a statement from UNICEF.
Armed conflicts and violence against civilians continue to cause new displacements across DRC and further exacerbate humanitarian needs in the eastern region of the country.
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