DRC - Emergency Health Care - Doctors Without Borders Canada 2015

March 2015 - Ongoing conflict between Government and UN peacekeeping forces and a plethora of armed rebel groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has led to a widespread regional humanitarian crisis. Nearly 3 million people in the DRC have been displaced from their homes and a further 500 000 Congolese are living as refugees in neighbouring countries. An estimated 5.7 million people in the country are facing acute food insecurity and almost 3.9 million children under the age of five years old are malnourished. The level of sexual and gender-based violence particularly in the eastern region of the country is alarming. Overall an estimated 7 million people in the DRC (roughly 9% of the total population) are expected to require humanitarian assistance in 2015. With DFATD’s support Doctors Without Borders Canada is helping to meet the basic health needs of over 112 000 conflict-affected people in Rutshuru territory North Kivu province and Shabunda territory South Kivu province. Through its support to local hospitals and health centres in these areas Doctors Without Borders is supporting conflict-affected communities to access quality life-saving healthcare. Project activities include: (1) providing primary healthcare including quality maternal health services benefiting over 16 000 women and children; (2) providing secondary healthcare including in-patient care surgeries and therapeutic feeding to address malnutrition benefiting over 35 000 people; and (3) providing training and support to staff at a general hospital to provide quality pediatric maternity and internal medicine in a highly conflict-affected area.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to basic health care; and (2) increased access to interventions aimed at preventing identifying and treating malnutrition among children. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crisis or acute food insecurity.