Democratic Republic of the Congo
http://www.rdc-humanitaire.netFour decades of economic decline and 10 years of nearly non-stop conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) mean no let up in the need for international humanitarian assistance in 2009. Needs are concentrated in eastern DRC, where humanitarian access is impeded by the presence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and various Congolese armed groups, notably the CNDP under Laurent Nkunda. Fighting in North Kivu between these groups and the Armed Forces of the DRC for the control of land and natural resources intensified in the second half of 2008 and resulted in massive population displacements and human rights violations.
Spillover from North Kivu has created the same dynamics of insecurity and displacement in South Kivu. In Ituri district, the resurgence of several armed groups, and their attacks against villages and the national army has provoked the displacement of tens of thousands of people and significantly reduced humanitarian access. Similarly in the territory of Dungu, in Oriental Province, the Lord’s Resistance Army attacks on villages and also on the town of Dungu provoked massive population displacements and the temporary evacuation of humanitarian actors from the area. Only Katanga remains on a course towards stability; however, a dilapidated infrastructure, few basic services and the absence of support for micro-economic activity present obstacles to sustainable development in Katanga and elsewhere in the country.
In 2009, OCHA will continue its support to United Nations agencies, international and local NGOs, donors and the Government in identifying and providing for humanitarian needs of civilian populations. The improvement of inter-cluster coordination mechanisms and the promotion of the Needs Assessment Framework for better identification of needs and improved coordination of humanitarian activities in the DRC are critical.
The use of the 2009 Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) as the principal tool for the prioritization of funding allocations will strengthen linkages between the various funding mechanisms, including the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and bilateral funding. Within the HAP framework, OCHA will work with partners to update scenarios and humanitarian contingency plans every six months.
In collaboration with national authorities, OCHA will support the humanitarian community in proposing new legislation regulating the NGO sector, which, if enacted, will allow for a better working environment for all concerned parties. Additionally, OCHA will continue its protection and advocacy efforts to preserve and expand humanitarian access. Under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), who also serves as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the OCHA office will ensure close consultation with the civilian and military sections of the United Nations Mission in the DRC on issues related to protection, access and logistics support in conflict zones of the DRC.
In addition to its main office in Kinshasa, OCHA maintains a wide presence in central and eastern DRC with 11 sub-offices and five antenna offices throughout the country. This assures on-the-ground capacity to meet any immediate coordination needs from rapid onset emergencies.
Key Objectives, Outputs and Indicators
