HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the poorest countries in the world. Despite abundant resources and a general degree of political stability in recent years, it is ranked bottom of the 2011 Human Development Index. Part of its territory is still affected by confrontations between the regular armed forces and various armed groups.

Out of a population of around 77 million, more than 2 million people are currently displaced. The humanitarian situation remains precarious due to serious problems relating to risks of indiscriminate violence, access to basic services, and a significant reduction in harvests connected to access difficulties and insecurity. These structural problems are compounded by the current financial crisis.

In reality, the DRC is facing several humanitarian crises simultaneously: in the east of the country in the Kivu provinces, there are confrontations between the national armed forces and armed rebel groups; in the north-east of the country in the Orientale province there are continued attacks committed by or attributed to the rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA); and also ethnic conflicts are rife in the north-west of the DRC in the Equator province.
In addition to more than 2 million people displaced within the country there are also approximately 427 000 Congolese refugees in other African countries.