ReliefWeb

This revised One International Appeal (OIA) seeks a total of CHF 43 million, increased from CHF 31.5 million, to enable the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement) to continue supporting the Democratic Republic of the Congo Red Cross (DRC RC), Burundi Red Cross (BRCS), Rwanda Red Cross (RRCS), South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC), and Uganda Red Cross (URCS), to deliver assistance and support the response to and containment of the current Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This revised OIA aims to support 15.5 million people until February 2020 with a specific focus on five thematic pillars: risk communication and community engagement and accountability (RCCE and CEA), infection prevention and control (IPC) support to health facilities and at community level, safe and dignified burials (SDB), including community-based harm reduction approaches to safer burials in inaccessible communities (ECUMR), psychosocial support (PSS), as well as capacity strengthening of the Red Cross National Societies in all five countries. The activities in this OIA focus on maintaining and adapting the response in affected health zones in the DRC, while at the same time enhancing activities in the surrounding health zones, provinces, and priority countries bordering DRC to encircle and contain the outbreak and ensure rapid response to cases that cross international borders, as was the case in Uganda in June 2019. The adaptation of response activities based on strategic recommendations with enhancement in the neighbouring province until February 2020 requires a budget increase to CHF 43 million in order to maintain the quality and impact of the Movement response.

The activities in this revised OIA are fully aligned with the DRC National Strategic Response Plan (SRP4) and WHO Regional Strategic EVD Readiness Preparedness Plan and will continue to be implemented in close collaboration with the respective Ministries of Health, WHO and other organizations in each country. This revised OIA includes operational support and Ebola-related activities from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has ensured permanent presence in North Kivu for over two decades to the Movement.

The plan focuses attention on the community-led response across each of the pillars in the operation. It reflects the current situation and information available at this time of the evolving operation and will be adjusted based on further developments and more detailed assessments. Details are available in the July 2019 Operations Update.