The DRC received on Thursday an additional humanitarian aid worth U$48 million from the US government through its Agency for International Development (USAID).
The aid is aimed at meeting the urgent needs of people affected by the crisis in the East part of the country.
Acting Under-Secretary of State Victoria Nuland announced the funding during a visit to Kinshasa, which will help nearly 2 million people affected by the crisis in the East. of the DRC.
This funding builds on continued U.S. support for the people of the DRC, bringing total U.S. humanitarian assistance to nearly $486 million this fiscal year, in response to the DRC’s urgent needs. .
President Félix Tshisekedi received the American Under-Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, on an official visit to the DRC.
Their discussions focused on the security situation in eastern DRC and the ongoing electoral process.
“We discussed the deadly conflict in eastern DRC which is imposing immense suffering on the communities there. I am announcing additional humanitarian assistance from the USA to the tune of U$48 million”, said the American diplomat.
“We also discussed the need for the USA and the DRC to promote transparent and fair elections. We will also have the opportunity to meet the CENI and the representatives of the neutral observers of these elections”.
Ongoing fighting between the Congolese army, elements of the March 23 Movement (M23) and other armed groups has caused large-scale displacement and limited access to basic services.
More than 26 million people are expected to need humanitarian assistance in the DRC in 2023, and an estimated 1.3 million people, many of whom live in unsafe and overcrowded camps without adequate access to food, water or medical care, have been displaced only in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu since the beginning of the year.
The crisis has also led to serious violations of protections, including a sharp increase in cases of gender-based violence (GBV), which the non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders has described as “catastrophic” because of its scale.
According to a statement from the US Embassy in the DRC, the new assistance will support protection activities, such as GBV prevention and response and psychosocial support services, for the most vulnerable and at-risk populations in the DRC. .
This new support from USAID, adds the embassy, which provides U$3 million directly to Congolese non-governmental organizations, will also fund the efforts of partners who provide emergency food aid, health care, nutritional support , materials for shelters and drinking water, among others.
