U.S OKAYS $67 MILLION AS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR DRC

WASHINGTON – The U.S government has announced nearly $67 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The U.S made the announcement at the DRC Humanitarian Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.

“With the assistance announced today, the United States is providing food, protection, shelter, health care, and other urgent aid for vulnerable Congolese and refugees in the DRC”, the U.S Department of State said, adding that the funding is also supporting the humanitarian response for new Congolese refugees in the region, including the construction of new settlements, water infrastructure, logistics, and other life-saving assistance.

The U.S said it is disappointed that the government of the DRC elected not to participate in today’s conference, but urged the government of the DRC to continue working to ensure that life-saving humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.

The intensifying conflicts in the DRC since late 2016 have left more than 13 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, including 7.7 million people facing acute food insecurity. There are now 4.5 million Congolese displaced from their homes within the country—double the number displaced at the beginning of 2017. Countries neighboring the DRC host some 700,000 Congolese refugees, including more than 50,000 who have fled so far in 2018.