FOREWORD BY
THE MINISTER OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS, HUMANITARIAN ACTION AND SOLIDARITY AND THE UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR
Nearly one in three people in the Pool region is in an emergency situation, forced to seek refuge with friends and relatives. Thousands of children have been deprived of education, and thousands of sick persons or pregnant women can no longer access basic care in their respective districts. Malnutrition rates exceeding the emergency threshold have been recorded among displaced children in the Pool region or in the neighboring region of Bouenza. Young women suddenly find themselves heads of household.
This is the partial and painful toll of several months of insecurity in some districts of the Pool region. The nutritional survey carried out in May 2017 demonstrates the urgency of a humanitarian response to save lives and prevent the deterioration of conditions for people affected by this crisis.
This situation not only affects the Pool region but the entire country as well. Supplies are disrupted as the railway between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville has been severed, and security force officers from various regions of the country have been killed. The solution to this situation cannot just be humanitarian, but there are lives at stake and action has to be taken urgently.
The Ministry of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and Solidarity, as well as other relevant Government institutions, in close collaboration with the United Nations system and other partners, have prepared a focused and integrated humanitarian response that takes into account the needs of different populations affected by the situation.
The emergency response plan aims at saving lives and strengthening the resilience of affected populations while respecting their rights and dignity. It will need to be updated regularly to integrate ongoing assessments and adapt to evolving circumstances. It should also be complemented by longer-term actions to stabilize a region that has long suffered various types of violence. This is to facilitate development of the region – one of Congo’s breadbasket regions.
This plan is adressed to all people, institutions or companies who are committed to assist in reducing the suffering of those populations in need.
H.E Antoinette Dinga Dzondo
MINISTER OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS, HUMANITARIAN ACTION AND SOLIDARITY
Mr Anthony Kwaku Ohemeng-Boamah
UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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