ReliefWeb

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), armed conflict and the corresponding displacement of people continue to dominate the humanitarian context in the eastern part of the country, including southeastern Katanga province, with over 2.7 million people still displaced.In Katanga alone, the number of newly displaced people increased by 22 per cent in the second half of 2014.2 Population movement in DRC is complex and dynamic: attacks on people and gross violations of human rights by numerous armed actors continue, with zones of violence and displacement constantly shifting with zones of comparative calm and return. A definitive end to armed violence seems unlikely in the near future. Protection issues for children, women, and families are UNICEF’s priority, as sexual violence, recruitment into armed groups, separation of families, psychosocial trauma, and destruction or loss of homes and belongings continue to be issues that communities are facing. The implementation of the national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process remains slow and the organization of provincial and national elections for 2015-2016 is uncertain. The regional context also negatively impacts the humanitarian situation in DRC, which now hosts over 68,125 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR).

Health and nutrition emergencies continue to threaten children’s survival in DRC: severe acute malnutrition (SAM) affects an estimated 2,250,000 children3 and 17 per cent of children under 5 are prone to waterborne diseases (EDS 2013). Cholera remains a significant concern even though prevention and preparedness activities have had some positive impact, with 33 per cent fewer cases of the disease reported through October 2014 than were reported in the same period in 2013. But despite these gains, there were 14,065 cholera cases reported in 2014, representing almost 20 per cent of all cases in West and Central Africa. Large-scale measles vaccination campaigns were conducted in 7 provinces in 2014; this should reduce the incidence of measles outbreaks significantly in 2015. However, because of logistical and security constraints and weaknesses in routine vaccination systems, numerous children remain unvaccinated. During the second half of 2014, 15 health zones reported measles outbreaks.

2015 Programme Targets

Nutrition

• 350,000 children under 5 with SAM are treated

Health

• 2,813,500 children in humanitarian situations vaccinated against measles 170,000 people affected by conflict receive access to primary health care

WASH

• 1,500,000 cholera-affected persons are provided with WASH package 450,000 conflict affected persons receive access to water and sanitation 35,000 severely malnourished children and host families receive WASH assistance from the nutrition centres, through to the household level

Child protection

• 3,700 children associated with armed forces and groups are released and cared for 14,500 survivors of sexual violence receive an appropriate response 1,000 unaccompanied or separated children are identified and reunited with their families

Education

• 200,000 girls and boys (aged 5 to 11 years) affected by conflict or natural disasters are given access to quality education and psychosocial activities

Non-food items and cash-based assistance

• 800,000 people access essential household and personal goods and shelter materials (Of these, the RRMP programme will cover 670,000 people in non-food items, 600,000 in WASH, 80,000 in education and 170,000 in health)