DRC - Emergency Assistance - Save the Children 2020-2021

February 2020 - The crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is characterized by inter-ethnic conflict and widespread human rights abuses including sexual violence. In 2020 15.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the DRC a 22% increase from 2019 and 2020 expects additional population movement creating significant needs in protection livelihoods and food security. Currently the DRC is home to the second largest food crisis with almost 16 million people severely food insecure. In addition it is home to the largest internally-displaced persons (IDPs) population in Africa with 5.01 million displaced people. These needs are exacerbated by the ongoing Ebola outbreak increased violence and the forced return of hundreds of thousands Congolese refugees. With GAC’s support Save the Children is providing assistance to address the urgent needs of up to 141 055 conflict-affected people in the Djugu and Irumu territory of DRC. This project focuses on preventing and treating malnutrition and providing protection services to at-risk children. Project activities include: (1) providing treatment to children under the age of five who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and diseases that exacerbate malnutrition; (2) providing case management response services and referrals to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence unaccompanied and separated children children associated with armed groups and other at-risk girls and boys; and (3) providing training to community health workers in sexual and gender based violence response services.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to quality protection services for unaccompanied and separated children children associated or formerly associated with armed groups and SGBV survivors; and (2) increased access to quality nutrition interventions targeting children under the age of five and pregnant and lactating women and adolescent girls. The expected ultimate outcome is reduce suffering increase and maintain human dignity and lives saved in communities affected by the armed conflict in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.