Emergency Assistance to Conflict-Affected People in DRC - ICRC 2013

September 2013 - Insecurity in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) escalated sharply in late 2012 and throughout 2013 due to a major increase in ethnic and resource-driven violence and banditry carried out by numerous armed groups particularly in North and South Kivu provinces. This surge in violence has resulted in large-scale displacement of people from their homes greater need to provide protection for people and the destruction of assets livelihoods and basic infrastructure. People in affected areas are already extremely vulnerable due to chronic poverty and underdevelopment poor governance and very limited access to basic services. Cholera measles and malaria continue to take a toll across the country but are particularly prevalent in areas of high displacement. In addition an estimated 6.35 million people across the country are acutely food insecure or without access to safe nutritious and sufficient food including 1.2 million children who are malnourished. With the support of DFATD and other donors the International Committee of the Red Cross' (ICRC) 2013 emergency operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo aim to provide protection and assistance to an estimated 873 500 people affected by conflict. Canada's assistance supports the ICRC in: providing emergency food assistance; improving water and sanitation services; providing health and medical care; providing support to help people meet their own daily food needs; providing protection services particularly to vulnerable women and children; and promoting respect for international humanitarian law.

The expected outputs for this project include: (i) water and sanitation services provided to up to 50 000 people; (ii) emergency shelter and other essential household items provided to up to 192 500 people; (iii) food rations provided to up to 130 000 people; (iv) agricultural inputs and livelihood training provided to up to 150 000 people; (v) local hospitals received technical support and training in war surgery through the deployment of two surgical teams; (vi) access to basic health care for conflict-affected populations improved through the provision of medical supplies to health facilities; (vii) protection assistance provided to vulnerable women and children including psychosocial support and family reunification and support to help children previously associated with armed groups reintegrate into their communities; and (viii) the International Committee of the Red Cross' mandate and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's neutral impartial and independent humanitarian principles promoted with all stakeholders. The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.