UN and NGO Emergency Directors to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHO: John Ging, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Ted Chaiban, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), David Kaatrud, World Food Programme (WFP), Mabingue Ngom, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Emmanuel Moncada, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Liz Ahua, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Michel Yao, World Health Organisation (WHO), Chris Skopec, International Medical Corps (IMC), and Scott Charlesworth, Mercy Corps

WHAT: Joint mission of UN and NGO Emergency Directors to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHEN: 20-24 October 2013

WHERE: Kinshasa-Goma-Bukavu

The Emergency Directors for OCHA, UNICEF, WFP, UNFPA, UNHCR, WHO, IMC, Mercy Corps and a representative of FAO are scheduled to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from 20-24 October to take stock of the humanitarian crisis and the ongoing response. The delegation will discuss prospects of finding durable solutions to the needs of the millions of internally displaced people, humanitarian access and the protection of civilians with Congolese authorities and international actors in the country.

From 22 to 24 October, the Emergency Directors are expected to travel to North Kivu and South Kivu provinces to see for themselves the humanitarian situation on the ground and talk to the affected people and aid workers.

Some 2.7 million people are internally displaced, 58.9 per cent of whom are in the Kivus. Since May 2012, close to 700,000 have fled their homes in North Kivu. More than US$556 million has been contributed to the response.

For further details of media opportunities during the trip, and to set up interviews with the Directors, please contact:
Yvon Edoumou + 243 97 000 3750, edoumou@un.org
Sylvestre Ntumba Mudingayi, +243 99 884 5386, ntumbamudingayi@un.org.