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	Development and the Responsibility to Protect by Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect   Global Protection Update: In the Hour of Need, (Global Protection Cluster)   Conflict, violence and human rights abuses remain the main drivers of protection risks.   In 2023, more than 160 million people are in need of protection. Amidst growing levels of conflict and violence globally, civilians are often subjected to violence, abuse, coercion and deprivation during armed conflict.   In 2023, there continues to be a blatant disregard for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and perpetrators of violations and abuses are rarely held to account, thus encouraging a climate of impunity.   This year Global Protection Forum’s theme, “In the Hour of Need”, focused on the range of approaches and interventions being advanced by protection actors to prevent and respond to violence, conflict, and human rights abuses.   A sharper focus on preventing protection risks and violence from the outset and ensuring timely, accountable, and locally driven protection interventions in the midst of conflict is increasingly critical in the current context of spiralling numbers of people in need, protracted crises and limited resources.   Over the past year, the Global Protection Cluster and all its partners have felt the increasing urgency of this topic (and this challenge), notably with the growing emergencies in Sudan, Haiti and DRC, not to mention in Gaza and the Middle East, the worsening situations in Ukraine, Honduras and Burkina Faso, as well as continued high levels of needs in protracted crises like Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan.   With growing protection risks and in light of extensive grave violations and protection concerns, there is a clear need to be more timely, responsive and impactful than ever.   Protection needs continue to grow at a steady pace, with 168 million people in need of protection in 28 operations, representing an additional 30 million people (22%) in comparison to 2022.   This year, protection actors have been at the forefront of a number of crises affecting the lives, dignity and rights of populations. However, most of operations (23 out of 28, or 82%) still record less than 50% of the required funding – hampering an adequate protection response.   National and local actors are recognised as the driving force of protection. 20% of the funding reported was operated by national and local partners in 2023, compared to 17% in 2022. It is also clear that community-led approaches offer a pathway for advancing prevention and response to protection risks by giving control of decisions and resources to community groups as agents of their own protection.   * The Global Protection Cluster is a network of non-government organizations (NGOs), international organizations and United Nations agencies engaged in protection work in humanitarian crisis, including armed conflict and disasters.   http://www.globalprotectioncluster.org/publications/1630/reports/global-protection-update/global-protection-update-hour-need-october-2023 http://www.globalprotectioncluster.org/publications/1450/reports/global-protection-update/global-protection-update-protection-and-food http://www.acaps.org/en/thematics/all-topics/humanitarian-access http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives   June 2023   Statement by the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect regarding the UN General Assembly meeting on R2P, 2023.   The International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICR2P) welcomes the UN General Assembly’s meeting today on “The responsibility to protect (R2P) and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”   The International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect is a community of commitment made up of 65 civil society and non-governmental organizations from around the world dedicated to the promotion of human rights, the prevention of atrocities and effective and consistent implementation of R2P.   ICR2P welcomes this year’s focus on “Development and the Responsibility to Protect” in the UN Secretary-General’s annual report on R2P. Recurrent violence, conflict and atrocity crimes across the world are often rooted in long-standing institutionalized discrimination, economic inequalities and inequities, unequal access to education, social exclusion, and violations and abuses of human rights, including of economic, social and cultural rights, and can be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, loss of biodiversity and other environmental pressures.   Not only are these factors a source of conflict in themselves, but they can also severely hinder a society’s capacity to prevent atrocity crimes.   The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes that sustainable development depends on fostering peaceful, just and inclusive societies that are free from fear and all forms of violence.   In turn, the promotion of economic growth, reduction of poverty and improvement of social conditions are critical foundations for resilient societies that can mitigate the risk of mass atrocities and protect vulnerable populations. In this regard, achieving the 2030 Agenda can be considered a cornerstone of atrocity prevention.   As noted in the Secretary-General’s report, the intricate connections between development, atrocity crimes and R2P demonstrate the critical importance of holistic prevention efforts.   Mass atrocity crimes are not random or isolated incidents. In order to protect populations from atrocities, the international community needs to understand the underlying drivers that perpetuate human suffering and invest in meaningful, effective and holistic prevention.   This should be based on comprehensive early warning involving accurate identification of all risk factors, including those associated with development indicators.   In fact, some of the most effective policies for the prevention of atrocities are those aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities, poor governance, weak institutions and mismanagement and abuse of natural resources. Individual member states, regional bodies and the UN system must more effectively seize such policies to better protect vulnerable populations and avoid costlier late-stage measures in the aftermath of atrocities.   The international community is already equipped with a wide range of tools to ensure the holistic prevention of atrocities. What is needed now is a comprehensive and unified approach for effective implementation.   It is imperative that UN member states strive to break silos within the system, including by implementing the three pillars of the UN – development, human rights and peace and security – in a manner that compliments and enhances the effectiveness of policies within each pillar.   Member states should work towards strengthening cross-departmental atrocity prevention in the UN system, including through linking cross-cutting agendas like the Call to Action for Human Rights and Our Common Agenda. This also includes strengthening how development cooperation, technical assistance and capacity building measures are utilized to address root causes and mitigate other factors that increase the risk of atrocity crimes.   The Peacebuilding Commission in particular can play an important role in supporting states in the transition from conflict and atrocity crimes to sustainable peace by addressing underlying development indicators.   Member states should explore possibilities for greater engagement of the Peacebuilding Commission in helping states and advising the UN Security Council to fulfil their obligations relating to the Responsibility to Protect.   Effective atrocity prevention efforts are equally predicated on the involvement of civil society. Civil society and affected populations, including survivor communities, are equipped with an in-depth understanding and expertise that UN member states should incorporate and centralize in development and all atrocity prevention efforts.   Civil society actors and affected communities are often the first to witness and document the indicators and early warning signs of atrocities – they are also the most severely impacted by the economic and social devastation inflicted by atrocity crimes.   As a result, civil society actors and affected communities should be at the forefront of efforts to foster post-conflict peace and development. They are best placed to understand the strategies required for long-term sustainable growth, including the most appropriate development measures that can facilitate structural prevention.   Governments, as well as international and regional organizations, must deepen their cooperation with civil society and affected populations at every stage of the decision-making process, particularly in crafting development priorities as well as technical assistance and capacity building efforts.   In so doing, the international community can take more appropriate and effective preventive action that is rights-based and community-informed.   The International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect commends the states that have begun to develop cohesive government-wide strategies and approaches to atrocity prevention that are gender-inclusive. We   further urgs all states to consider building similar national and regional architectures for atrocity prevention to institutionalize early warning and action as core priorities.   States should also ensure that development assistance programs benefit all communities equally, reduce tensions and empower local populations, including women, indigenous peoples, persons belonging to minority groups and other marginalized groups.   Member States should increase funding for relevant programs to promote social cohesion, prevent identity-based violence and decrease intergroup tensions in both their domestic and external affairs, without, however, diverting funds from other areas of support and assistance to populations in need.   We call on all UN member states to use the occasion of this year’s UN General Assembly meeting on R2P as an opportunity to not only renew individual and collective commitments to the prevention of atrocities and the Responsibility to Protect, but to also turn those commitments into timely and effective action.   When the Responsibility to Protect was established at the World Summit in 2005, states agreed that political expediency would not excuse inaction when confronted with the most heinous of crimes. Yet today we are confronted with unprecedented levels of violence, atrocities and displacement.   Our coalition stands ready as a partner for individual states, regional bodies and the international community to ensure that our enduring responsibility to protect is upheld consistently, robustly and without exception. Doing so will help us avoid the horrors of the past and break the cycle of mass atrocities.   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/statement-by-the-international-coalition-for-the-responsibility-to-protect-regarding-the-un-general-assembly-plenary-meeting-on-r2p-2023/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/summary-2023-report/ http://www.globalr2p.org/international-coalition-for-the-responsibility-to-protect/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/   * Development and the responsibility to protect: Recognizing and addressing embedded risks and drivers of atrocity crimes - Report of the UN Secretary-General: http://reliefweb.int/report/world/development-and-responsibility-protect-recognizing-and-addressing-embedded-risks-and-drivers-atrocity-crimes-report-secretary-general-a77910-s2023409-enarruzh http://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2023/06/82383/preventing-contagion-atrocities-hinges-responsibility-protect   * R2P Monitor is a quarterly publication applying the atrocity prevention lens to populations at risk of mass atrocities around the world. The December Issue looks at developments in Afghanistan, Cameroon, Central Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar (Burma), Nicaragua, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Yemen:   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/r2p-monitor-issue-71-1-december-2024/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/r2p-monitor-issue-70-1-september-2024/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/r2p-monitor-issue-68-1-march-2024/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/r2p-monitor-issue-67-1-december-2023/ http://www.globalr2p.org/podcast-expert-voices-on-atrocity-prevention/   * FAO: Social protection as a pathway to sustaining peace   Global crises are becoming the new normal. From climate change to the contemporary food price crisis, vulnerable populations – and especially rural people – are facing increasingly difficult odds of flourishing. Such challenges are even more pronounced where there is conflict, whose multidimensional nature demands to direct more attention to its drivers and impacts.   Over the past decades, social protection has contributed to development outcomes, such as those related to poverty reduction, food and nutrition security, and gender equality. However, there has been limited operational research regarding social protection’s contributions to peace. In order to start addressing this gap, this paper discusses how social protection can sustain peace efforts by understanding peace not as an outcome but, rather, as an ongoing process.   The paper argues that the contributions that social protection can make to peace can be divided between two overlapping scenarios: “working in conflict” and “working on conflict”. While the former refers to efforts aimed at offsetting the impacts of conflict, the latter relates to interventions that intend to deliberately address its underlying drivers.   http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=CC9175EN
	10 million people in Democratic Republic of Congo urgently need aid amidst increased violence by IPC, MSF, Global R2P, NRC, agencies   24 Jan. 2025   Risk of imminent attack on Goma. (OHCHR)   We are deeply alarmed at the heightened risk of an attack by the M23 armed group on Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.   The M23 recently took control of the city of Sake following fighting with the DRC armed forces. Recent hostilities between the M23, the DRC army and other armed groups in the village of Bweremana, about 50 km from Goma, left at least 18 civilians dead.   Some 400,000 people have been displaced in North and South Kivu since the beginning of this year alone.   Any such attack on Goma risks catastrophic impacts on hundreds of thousands of civilians, putting them at heightened exposure to human rights violations and abuses.   The High Commissioner is calling on all parties to the conflict to de-escalate tensions and, consistent with their obligations and responsibilities under international human rights and humanitarian law, to ensure that civilians are unharmed.   They must also respect the principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality, and ensure those in need have safe and unfettered access to humanitarian aid.   The High Commissioner appeals to all States with influence on the parties to impress on them the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Any role played by Rwanda in supporting the M23 – and by any other country supporting armed groups active in the DRC – must end.   The people in the DRC are exhausted by violence, exhausted by conflict, exhausted by the horrors of their daily life. And this must not be allowed to worsen further.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2025/01/drc-risk-imminent-attack-goma http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/humanitarian-coordinator-expresses-deep-concern-over-impact-intensified-fighting-around-goma-civilians-and-humanitarian-operations http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159396 http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/25/dr-congo-civilians-risk-m23-approaches-goma http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-gravely-concerned-worsening-violence-and-humanitarian-crisis-eastern-dr http://news.un.org/en/audio/2025/01/1159416 http://www.unocha.org/news/scale-suffering-dr-congo-demands-urgent-attention-un-deputy-relief-chief-tells-security   Jan. 2025   Escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has displaced 100,000 people - more than half of whom are children - since the start of this year, with the conflict blocking access for aid teams, says Save the Children.   Fighting in the eastern DRC escalated further over the weekend with the UN stating that 100,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of the year with children accounting for about 52, 000 of this number.   Conflict in DRC has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with nearly 7 million people, including at least 3.5 million children, displaced and more than 26 million people – or one in every four people – in need of humanitarian assistance in the DRC.   In recent days, several explosions were reported in Minova, a commercial hub hosting many people displaced from North Kivu where Save the Children is supporting several schools via its education programme and is responding to the urgent needs of the newly displaced. Fighting has also been intense around Rubaya, a town known for its mines producing coltan, a mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles and cell phones.   The recent upsurge in fighting has impacted humanitarian operations in North Kivu province since 2 January, blocking access for humanitarian workers and raising concerns over a worsening hunger crisis.   Greg Ramm, Save the Children’s Country Director for DRC said: “The humanitarian crisis in the D.R. Congo is at its worst in decades. Ongoing conflict has blocked several roads, forcing our team to delay a critical mission to assist those in need. However, we remain on the ground, ready to deliver aid as soon as access is restored.   “The situation in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu has deteriorated with millions of people already experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, children are most affected. We urge all parties to the conflict to prioritise the wellbeing of children and their families and ensure access to all areas can be restored as soon as possible.   “The humanitarian situation is dire, and it’s imperative that the international community acts swiftly to protect civilians and prevent further violence. We urge all parties involved to immediately cease hostilities and work towards a peaceful resolution."   http://www.savethechildren.net/news/escalating-violence-drc-forces-more-50000-children-their-homes-so-far-2025 http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/escalating-violence-eastern-dr-congo-displaces-more-230-000-start-year   Oct. 2024   Armed violence, soaring food prices leave 25.6 million people in high levels of acute food insecurity. (FAO)   Armed violence and conflict continue to affect the livelihoods of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This, combined with soaring food prices and the prolonged effects of various epidemics have left approximately 25.6 million in high levels of acute food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 3 or above (Crisis or worse).   Between July to December 2024, some 3.1 million people are facing critical levels of food insecurity – IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) – characterized by large food gaps and high levels of acute malnutrition. Another 19 percent (22.4 million people) are facing crisis levels of food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 3 (Crisis).   The affected populations are spread throughout the country, however, the most affected populations are concentrated in the provinces of North Kivu, Ituri, South Kivu and Tanganyika, Maindombe – as well as populations affected by natural disasters and unemployment.   The analysis projected for January to June 2025 indicates a situation where food insecurity rates are expected to be almost identical to those of the current situation, with 25.5 million people (22 percent of the population analysed) projected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phases 3 or above), including around 3.3 million people who are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity (Phase 4) and 22.2 million people who will likely be in Phase 3.   “The food security situation remains critical for millions of people in the DRC,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO's Office of Emergencies and Resilience. “Armed violence and competition for resources have caused massive damage on rural livelihoods and infrastructure, disrupting essential agricultural production.   Given the scale of this crisis, even a slight shock - such as rising food prices or a poor harvest - could push even more people to the brink. To reverse these grim trends, it is essential to end hostilities, restore local food production and support rural families to improve their food security and nutrition.”   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-113/en/   Aug. 2024   6 million people have been killed by conflict in eastern DRC since 1996. (MSF)   Violence is escalating in eastern DR Congo, where the humanitarian needs are dire and rising. A resurgence of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is worsening the already-dire humanitarian emergency in the country, forcing millions to flee their homes to overcrowded camps where access to basic needs is severely limited as needs skyrocket.   Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) teams working in DRC are witnessing how this latest escalation of violence is impacting people’s lives and compounding the humanitarian crisis, particularly in camps where displaced people are sheltering. As the conflict continues to unfold, here’s what to know about what’s happening in eastern DRC and how to help.   What's happening in DR Congo?   The violence we're seeing now in eastern DRC is part of a protracted conflict that has afflicted the region for decades. Its lush, fertile land is rich with natural resources like gold, copper, lithium, and oil, which armed groups have been fighting to access and control as millions of civilians are caught in between, facing attacks, repeated displacement, and increasingly dire conditions in camps. Overview: DR Congo   DRC is the second-largest country in Africa, about the size of Western Europe. Today, 7.2 million people are displaced in DRC—a record for the country— and the vast majority are in the eastern provinces.   According to the UN, DRC is one of the five conflict zones with the highest numbers of serious violations against children, alongside Palestine, Somalia, Ukraine, and Syria.   75 percent of the population live on less than $2.15 per day, making DRC one of the poorest countries in the world. Childhood vaccine coverage is the lowest in 30 years, according to the World Health Organization.   An estimated 6 million people have been killed by conflict in eastern DRC since 1996.   Resurgence of the M23 conflict   The Congolese army and its allies are fighting the March 23 Movement, known as M23, which has been progressively taking over territory eastern DRC since 2022. The fighting began to intensify in January 2024, causing mass casualties and displacement. North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces are the most affected. The escalation has impacted people’s access to health care, food, and other basic needs, triggering mass waves of displacement and raising the risk of disease outbreaks.   Repeated waves of mass displacement   Over 5 million people are displaced across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, including 2 million who have fled in just the last two years. As people continue to flee the fighting, displacement camps around Goma, the capital of North Kivu, are growing more crowded and living conditions are deteriorating further, with severely limited access to basic needs such as proper shelter, food, water, sanitation facilities, and health care.   Some new arrivals don’t even have plastic sheeting to cover their makeshift shelters. Displaced people living in these conditions are at increased risk of falling ill.   In some areas, such as Masisi territory, displaced people are sheltering wherever they can, including schools, churches, and sheds.   Inadequate humanitarian response   Since day one, the international humanitarian response has been inadequate and far too slow to meet the severity of the situation and the fast-growing needs in DRC, with underfunding, ineffective coordination, and lack of emergency preparedness in areas close to the front lines. In some areas, MSF is alone in addressing medical and humanitarian needs, which far outweigh our capacity to respond.   Sexual & gender-based violence   MSF teams in DRC have seen alarming rates of sexual violence as reported by our patients, especially in camps around Goma. Most assaults are perpetrated against women searching for food or wood outside the camps, driven to venture out due to lack of access to basic supplies. Our teams treated more than 22,000 survivors of sexual violence in North and South Kivu’s Minova health zone last year, and continue to see high numbers of cases at the facilities where we work throughout the region. This represents only the survivors who sought care from MSF; the true number of survivors is likely far higher due to stigma and barriers to accessing care.   As the fighting intensifies near cities, civilians are in increasing jeopardy. MSF teams are treating patients with gunshot wounds and injuries from explosions, including children.   Food insecurity & malnutrition   Despite being rich with fertile agricultural land, DRC is one of the most food-insecure countries in the world, with more than 23 million people experiencing food insecurity. Food shortages have led to a significant increase in prices, while checkpoints on roads impede access to farmland, leaving crops abandoned. These factors contribute to rising malnutrition rates in DRC.   MSF teams have seen worrying levels of malnutrition among children in many of our projects in eastern DRC. Last year, monthly admissions of children for malnutrition doubled   http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/conflict-dr-congo-whats-happening-how-help http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/small-voices-youngest-victims-conflict-ituri-dr-congo http://www.iom.int/news/alarming-humanitarian-crisis-eastern-drc-calls-urgent-action-protect-vulnerable-populations http://www.internal-displacement.org/expert-analysis/m23-conflict-caused-nearly-3-out-of-every-4-displacements-in-the-drc-this-year/ http://globalprotectioncluster.org/publications/2028/reports/protection-analysis-update/democratic-republic-congo-protection-analysis   May 2024   DRC: UN and partners warn escalating conflict is fuelling unprecedented civilian suffering. (Inter-Agency Standing Committee)   Escalating conflict is driving record levels of gender-based violence, displacement and hunger in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), threatening to push the country to the brink of catastrophe without urgent international action.   Decades of conflict and the resulting humanitarian emergency have already exhausted and traumatized millions of civilians. In the last few months alone, more than 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, bringing the total number of displaced people to an all-time high of 7.2 million.   Ensuring that sufficient aid reaches civilians in need swiftly and without impediment is critical. But this year’s Humanitarian Response Plan is woefully underfunded, with just 16 per cent of the US$2.6 billion needed having been received. The gap between rapidly rising needs and sufficient resources means millions of people are left without the lifesaving support they need.   This lack of resources is compounding the crisis by forcing humanitarian organizations to curb their assistance, with women and girls paying a devastatingly high price. Minimal protection and security in crowded displacement camps means many are forced to exchange sex for survival and support for their families. When they venture outside to collect firewood, water or for work, they are also exposed to appalling levels of sexual violence.   Gender-based violence has surged to unprecedented levels, with recorded cases surging between 2022 and 2023. Stigma and the fear of retaliation prevent many survivors from coming forward. In addition to sexual violence, children are also at risk of other threats, including abduction, killing, maiming and recruitment by armed groups.   Perpetrators of human rights violations must be held accountable for their crimes. Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected.   More than 25 million people – a quarter of the population – continue to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity in the DRC, a country facing one of the world's largest food crises.   Cholera and measles are also spreading rapidly as the health sector continues to deteriorate. Climate extremes worsened by El Niño are yet another threat for already struggling families.   Bringing an end to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the DRC requires addressing its root causes: conflict, the exploitation of natural resources, illicit financial flows, prevailing gender inequality and development deficits.   We must step up our support to the Congolese people, including to women and girls who are bearing the brunt of this conflict, as they work to rebuild their lives and livelihoods and return to their homes. The international community must mobilize additional resources for the humanitarian response and support for civil society organizations – as well as the political will to end the violence once and for all.   http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-democratic-republic-congo-crushing-levels http://www.iom.int/news/alarming-humanitarian-crisis-eastern-drc-calls-urgent-action-protect-vulnerable-populations http://www.nrc.no/news/2024/may/joint-statement-ingos-in-dr-congo-call-for-a-cessation-of-hostilities-and-the-respect-for-international-humanitarian-law/ http://www.msf.org/drc-civilians-caught-crossfire-north-and-south-kivu http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-106/en/   * Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) briefing to UN Security Council and discussion of conflict in North Kivu and its spillover into South Kivu, with political representatives from DRC and Rwanda: http://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15760.doc.htm   Mar. 2024   UNICEF and WFP demand action to protect children and unfettered humanitarian access in Eastern DRC.   The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are calling for immediate action to protect children and families caught in the escalating violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where an increasing number of people, including children, have been wounded or killed near makeshift camps.   Both agencies call on all parties to the conflict to prioritize the protection of civilians and allow humanitarian agencies to do their work.   The latest conflict in the Eastern DRC has resulted in catastrophic conditions for the local population. Fierce fighting has, over the past two weeks, moved 25 kilometres’ west of Goma towards the town of Sake, where children and their families are caught in a deadly crossfire.   “Children in DRC need peace now,” said Grant Leaity, UNICEF Representative in the DRC. “We are calling for children to be protected in this war and for an end to this violence through renewed efforts to find a diplomatic solution. We are extremely concerned about the safety of children and their families in and around camps in Goma.”   This has triggered a huge movement of people to already over-crowded displacement camps. An additional 214,950 people have joined the 500,000 people already displaced to areas around Goma. Separately, tens of thousands of others moved towards Minova in South Kivu.   Crucial land routes to facilitate food delivery and other supplies have been cut off, causing shortages and price spikes in Goma’s local markets. The situation further strains families struggling to put food on their tables.   “We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe of massive proportions,” said Peter Musoko, Country Director and Representative for WFP in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “Make no mistake: If we do not act now, lives will be lost.”   The increase in violence and displacement is straining resources for both agencies to mount a comprehensive response that includes food, clean water, good sanitation, safe shelter, basic health care, and protective services for women and children.   DRC has become one of the continent’s most significant internal displacement crises, with 6.9 million people displaced, primarily due to conflict in the east. In the last year alone, IOM estimates that 1.6 million people have been displaced.   http://www.wfp.org/news/drcs-hunger-crisis-deepens-families-once-again-flee-fighting http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-urges-immediate-action-amid-heightened-risks-displaced-eastern-dr-congo http://www.wfp.org/news/unicef-and-wfp-demand-action-protect-children-and-unfettered-humanitarian-access-eastern-drc http://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2024/hundreds-of-thousands-face-desperate-conditions-as-fighting-surges-in-eastern-dr-congo/ http://www.unhcr.org/africa/news/press-releases/unhcr-urges-protection-civilians-and-aid-access-amid-surging-violence-eastern http://www.icrc.org/en/document/dr-congo-civilians-firing-line-use-heavy-weapons-signals-alarming-new-phase-armed-conflict http://www.icrc.org/en/document/democratic-republic-congo-forgotten-people-north-kivu http://www.wfp.org/stories/eastern-drc-women-and-girls-pay-high-price-ongoing-conflict http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/conflict-drc-over-hundred-thousand-people-without-clean-water-live-disastrous http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/04/un-high-commissioner-human-rights-volker-turk-concludes-official-visit-drc   20 Dec. 2023   Massive needs everywhere as displacement reaches unprecedented levels in DRC. (MSF)   In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) the humanitarian crisis has reached dramatic heights in 2023, with massive levels of violence and displacement.   In North Kivu, armed clashes linked to the resurgence of the M23 armed group have forced up to one million people to flee their homes.   Often overshadowed, the provinces of Ituri and South Kivu are similarly wracked by relentless violence, causing grave repercussions for many people. While the humanitarian situation is catastrophic, aid remains desperately limited, and people’s needs continue to be overwhelmingly unmet.   In a grim milestone, the UN announced in late October that the DRC has nearly seven million people who have been displaced, with around five million concentrated in the eastern part of the country – a record.   In North Kivu, violence between armed groups – the M23 prominent among them – has triggered constant and massive people movements across Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Masisi territories. The escalation of the conflict since October this year has only further increased the humanitarian disaster.   "The current situation in the province is just catastrophic" says Germain Lubango Kabemba, MSF country representative in Goma. "Wherever you look now, the urgency to act is there.”   Meanwhile, violence in North Kivu triggered several waves of displacement of people into South Kivu, notably around Minova and the surrounding villages, where the already fragile hygiene conditions led to an increase in cases of cholera. At the same time the closure of health facilities in North Kivu due to the insecurity also forced people who needed ongoing healthcare south.   One third of the people in Ituri are now displaced as a result of years of conflict. People who are living in such prolonged displacement are hit hard, both mentally and physically.   “Ituri is a region where, over the past 30 years, we have seen a major disinvestment in even the most basic medical services and infrastructure, which makes access to any medical services already very problematic without conflict on top,” says Alira Halidou, MSF head of mission in Ituri.   Everyday Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams witness the impact of the dire living conditions for people who have been displaced by the violence. They live in makeshift shelters without essentials like adequate food, safe drinking water or basic sanitation.   They have become extremely vulnerable to illness and infectious diseases such as cholera and measles. Women are particularly exposed to incidents of sexual violence, which we have seen in extremely high numbers.   “The humanitarian needs are everywhere and are massive, but as a medical organisation we can only respond to the most pressing and urgent ones,” says Alira Halidou.   “Today, more than ever before, displaced communities are in dire need of concrete and clear action from international humanitarian organisations in the face of this growing emergency.   “We hear, and are confronted with, the communities’ growing pleas for more aid to meet their most basic needs. While the lack of humanitarian presence in many areas of eastern DRC is unfortunately nothing new, the soaring level of needs we see now should act as a wake-up call.”   Despite MSF’s repeated calls for a mobilisation of aid, progress remains insufficient. The crisis gripping the DRC demands an urgent and united international response. It's time to spotlight the people and communities who need support most and ensure that their voices, including those of our patients, are heard and acknowledged.   http://www.msf.org/drc-massive-needs-everywhere-displacement-reaches-unprecedented-levels http://www.msf.org/latest-portal http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2024/02/12/conflict-western-drc-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-amid-rebel-gains-east   Nov. 2023   UNHCR and UNICEF express grave concern over the humanitarian toll of conflict on civilians in eastern DR Congo.   "UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund, are greatly alarmed by the escalating crisis unfolding once again in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Violent clashes between non-state armed groups and government forces have forcibly displaced more than 450,000 people in the last six weeks in Rutshuru and Masisi territories in North Kivu Province.   "The severity of the crisis is further exacerbated by the limited humanitarian access to those in dire need, primarily due to the obstruction of major routes. Cut off from essential humanitarian aid, approximately 200,000 internally displaced people are currently stranded. Tragically, an additional 100,000 people are anticipated to confront restricted access in the coming days if the current trends of conflict persist.   "The disruption of roads not only impedes the delivery of critical humanitarian aid but also heightens the vulnerability of displaced populations, leaving them without essential resources and protection. Although UNHCR has built shelters in recent months for more than 40,000 people near the provincial capital of Goma, and distributed more than 30,000 kits containing tarps, cooking pots, and blankets, the international community must urgently address the obstruction of humanitarian access to ensure that the nearly 7 million people affected by conflict in eastern DRC receive urgent help.   "The gravity of the situation is underscored by the distressing narrative of displaced people in Sake, who are arriving by the tens of thousands in this town, 35 kilometres west of Goma. Having first been displaced in zones where aid was not accessible, they described to UNHCR’s protection monitors making harrowing choices, including men risking death to feed starving children and women risking rape to collect firewood.   "These stories are underscored by statistics, with protection monitoring reports collected by UNHCR and partners in October showing over 3,000 reported human rights violations in October, nearly double the figure from the previous month. Rape and arbitrary killings feature prominently in these results, along with kidnappings, extortion, and the destruction of property, illustrating a deeply concerning pattern of abuse inflicted upon civilian populations.   "The intensification of violence is having a devastating impact on the lives of children, who are facing an alarming number of serious violations of their rights. The number of overall violations reported against children between July and September 2023, recorded by child protection partners, saw a sharp increase (130 per cent) to 2018 cases on the already high number of violations reported for the first half of the year.   "UN partners and humanitarian actors are urgently scaling up humanitarian and protection assistance to tackle urgent needs stemming from overcrowding and inadequate shelter in spontaneous sites in the eastern provinces, with limited access to food and clean water. Cholera outbreaks continue, signalling concerning limitations of the humanitarian aid currently available.   "UNHCR and UNICEF urgently call on all actors in eastern DRC to stop the violence that is taking an enormous toll on the civilian population. We stand united in our commitment to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the crisis, but the international community must act swiftly to ensure that sufficient resources are mobilized.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unhcr-and-unicef-express-grave-concern-over-humanitarian-toll-civilians-eastern-dr http://www.rescue.org/press-release/drc-women-and-children-most-risk-following-recent-escalation-violence-warns-irc http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-88/en/   Sep. 2023   UN: Humanitarian Situation in Eastern DRC 'Alarming, by Margaret Besheer. (OCHA)   A senior U.N. official said this week that the humanitarian situation has severely deteriorated in the eastern Congo, where 8 million people need assistance in three provinces and sexual violence has become endemic.   "What we saw and heard was shocking, heartbreaking and sobering," Edem Wosornu, director of operations and advocacy in the U.N. Department of Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters. "We have seen that in the past 18 months, the situation in eastern Congo has deteriorated to an alarming extent."   Wosornu is just back from the region, following a mission with officials from several U.N. agencies and NGOs.   She said 8 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, where scores of armed groups terrorize villages. Overall, more than 26 million Congolese across the country need food assistance. In a country with huge numbers of displaced persons, an additional million people have been forcibly displaced since the start of this year.   "This is an acute crisis on top of an already super-sized one," said Gabriella Waaijman, humanitarian director for Save the Children Global, who was also part of the mission. "And behind every one of these staggeringly large numbers are individuals enduring immense levels of suffering."   This year, humanitarians have been able to assist about 1.4 million people in Congo but are hampered by insecurity, a lack of access on poor roads and a huge funding shortfall. The United Nations has appealed for $2.3 billion but received only $764 million so far, with just a few months left in the year.   Wosornu said sexual violence is being perpetrated "on a massive and distressing scale."   "In the first six months of 2023 alone, more than 35,000 survivors have sought access to services for gender-based violence across the three provinces alone," she said, adding that the real number is likely higher as survivors often do not report sexual crimes.   The U.N. has warned that such violations may amount to atrocity crimes.   Women and girls are at particular risk from armed men when they search for food, water and firewood in areas around camps for the displaced.   Wosornu said the stories she heard from victims and their families in eastern Congo were "absolutely horrific", adding that the U.N. and its partners are working on prevention and offering psychosocial and medical support to women who have been raped.   Unfortunately, funding for gender-based violence is often the least funded in emergencies, Wosornu said, at around 5%. While protection programs only receive about 10% of donor funds.   http://panzifoundation.org/the-crisis/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/dr-congo-children-killed-injured-abducted-and-face-sexual-violence-conflict-record http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-expresses-grave-concern-protection-people-displaced-violence-eastern-dr http://www.msf.org/struggle-survive-amidst-violence-and-displacement-north-kivu http://reliefweb.int/country/cod http://www.globalr2p.org/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/   July 2023   The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is sounding the alarm on a significant escalation in violence in the eastern province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.   In the past week, at least 40 civilians were killed in the span of three days in attacks by armed groups near the city of Bunia. In Ituri this year, more than 600 civilians have been killed, while some 345,000 people have been displaced.   We strongly condemn this violence and call on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law and human rights principles.   To respond to the urgent needs of people affected, our humanitarian partners have scaled up operations and increased the level of assistance. We and our partners have supported 460,000 people in Ituri in the first quarter of this year.   The current Humanitarian Response Plan for the DRC is only 30 per cent funded. We urge the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of the DRC and provide the support needed to address this spiraling humanitarian crisis.   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-geneva-palais-briefing-note-millions-drc-risk-going-hungry-funding-dries http://www.justsecurity.org/87532/the-democratic-republic-of-the-congos-unheard-humanitarian-crisis/ http://www.nrc.no/news/2023/august/drc-an-unprecedented-crisis-goes-ignored/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/children-dr-congo-facing-worst-cholera-outbreak-six-years-warns-unicef   June 2023   UN sounds the alarm over rampant violence and rising humanitarian needs in eastern Congo. (OCHA)   The world’s top relief officials have triggered an immediate scale-up of humanitarian operations in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following months of relentless violence and rising humanitarian needs, with a focus on the scarcity of food, protection concerns and the spread of treatable diseases in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, as well as in South Kivu.   Last week, nearly fifty people, many of them women and children, were massacred in the Lala displacement site in Ituri in the latest outburst of violence. Thousands more have since fled the site.   “The brutality unleashed by armed groups on local communities and the depth of people’s humanitarian need is unparalleled,” said Bruno Lemarquis, the Humanitarian Coordinator in DRC. “The suffering is immense. Millions of people desperately need humanitarian assistance. We are fully committed to this scale-up in our response.”   The emergency protocols call on all UN humanitarian agencies in the DRC and their international NGO partners to deploy additional capacity and the additional resources required to increase the scale of humanitarian assistance in the region in support of the efforts of the DRC Government and working closely with local partners and organizations.   The UN is also calling for all armed actors active in these provinces to end attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and for the Government of the DRC, which has the primary responsibility for protecting civilians, to increase its efforts to ensure the protection of civilians.   Hunger and malnutrition in the east are growing due to a lethal mix of violence, natural disasters, widespread poverty and lack of basic services. Many rural communities have no choice but to abandon their fields out of fear of attacks. In Ituri, food production has dropped by 25 per cent over the last year alone.   Outbreaks of Ebola, measles, cholera and other diseases have also contributed to the region’s humanitarian crisis.   Since March 2022, 2.8 million people have been forced from their homes in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces. DRC now has 6.3 million internally displaced people, the highest number in any African country.   Gender-based violence is rampant with more than 31,000 cases registered in the first three months of 2023 alone. The real number is likely much higher as sexual violence often goes unreported. Grave violations against children are also on the rise, particularly child recruitment, abductions and sexual violence.   Despite the scale of the needs, funding for the humanitarian response remains low. Aid agencies require US$2.25 billion to assist ten million people this year. As of 19 June, the humanitarian response plan is only 28 per cent funded.   "We call on donors to further support, although humanitarian assistance is not a long-term solution," said Bruno Lemarquis. "Alongside humanitarian assistance, we also need much more efforts and investment in early recovery and emergency development programmes to assist communities get back on their feet. But first and foremost, we need the violence to stop."   http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/un-sounds-alarm-over-rampant-violence-and-rising-humanitarian-needs-eastern-congo http://unocha.exposure.co/drc-a-year-of-survival http://www.icrc.org/en/document/democratic-republic-congo-displaced-people-and-host-communities-struggle-obtain-essentials   Apr. 2023   10 million people in Democratic Republic of Congo urgently need aid amidst increased violence.   Renewed violent clashes involving non-state armed groups have exacerbated the hunger and protection crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving 10 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, warned Oxfam, CARE International and the Danish Refugee Council today.   Since the beginning of the year, the ongoing conflicts have killed nearly 1,400 civilians, including women and children. Sexual violence against women and girls is also on the rise, with over 340 cases of sexual violence reported in areas of Kanyaruchinya and Munigi in Niyragongo territory since January 2023 alone.   “Due to the recent violence, hundreds of thousands of farmers across North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri are unable to start the planting season to secure food and income, as they have been driven out of their lands and homes. Over 26 million people already do not have enough to eat due to years of conflict and displacement. Continued violence is now pushing them to the brink”, said Justine Gomis Tossou, Oxfam Country Director in DRC.   More than 600,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since violence escalated in June 2022. Hundreds of people are arriving every day and being crammed in crowded makeshift camps. In Lushagala IDP camp, 12km from Goma, the number of families arriving increased from 2,280 to 6,261 in just one week.   This is stretching resources such as clean water and sanitation and increasing the risk of outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera. “Over 59,000 children are malnourished and over 5,000 pregnant women require appropriate nutritional care. With food insecurity, overcrowding in the sites, poor hygiene and sanitation conditions, shortage of drinking water, and lack of access to health care, the likelihood of an increase in the cases of cholera in the makeshift camps is high in Nyiragongo. Conflict hampers access to get much-needed aid to the affected”, said Sidibe Kadidia, Care International Country Director in DRC.   The country already suffers the largest internal displacement crisis in Africa due to the ongoing violence. To date, 5.8 million people across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika provinces - over half of them being women – have been forced to flee their homes. Many have had to move more than once.   Despite the worsening humanitarian situation, only 10.2 percent of the $2.25 billion UN appeal for DRC this year has been funded to date.   The three aid agencies are calling on donors to urgently meet the current UN appeal for DRC to help save lives now. The government of DRC and the international community must work equally on addressing the root cause of the crisis and protecting human rights.   http://www.iom.int/news/nearly-1-million-newly-displaced-drc-first-half-2023-amid-surge-violence http://www.unhcr.org/news/unhcr-deplores-brutal-attacks-displaced-people-dr-congo http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/10-million-people-democratic-republic-congo-urgently-need-aid-amidst-increased-violence http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/unhcr-warns-mounting-needs-dr-congo-forced-displacement-continues http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/unicef-calls-urgent-action-respond-alarming-levels-increasing-sexual-violence-against-girls-and-women-eastern-drc http://www.savethechildren.net/news/drc-remains-epicentre-child-suffering-war-country-tops-world-list-grave-violations-against http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136407 http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-70/en/ http://www.msf.org/democratic-republic-congo-urgent-response-needed-humanitarian-disaster-north-kivu http://www.msf.org/drc-alarming-numbers-sexual-violence-victims-camps-around-goma http://www.icrc.org/en/document/democratic-republic-congo-humanitarian-crisis-north-kivu-escalating http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/dieng-evans-drc-letter/   Nov. 2022   UNICEF: Fighting in eastern DRC is having a devastating impact on children.   UNICEF has expressed its utmost concern about the serious damage to children caused by recent fighting in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).   Violence has intensified over the last week. Thousands of people have been displaced from the towns of Rutshuru and Kiwanja on the eastern side of the country, near the border with Rwanda and Uganda.   Many of those displaced are children traveling towards the city of Goma and other areas to flee the fighting. It is estimated that over the course of a week some 40,000 people have been displaced in Rutshuru territory including about 6,500 people who are reported to have fled to Uganda.   That is in addition to about 200,000 people who were displaced over the last year before the latest surge in violence.   UNICEF is calling on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and to protect children in particular.   “The latest fighting is having a devastating impact on children and their families,” said UNICEF’s Goma Office head Jean Metenier. “They have been forced to flee their homes with only their most essential possessions. Thousands of people have been rendered homeless.”   UNICEF and partner NGOs are providing access to safe water and sanitation, child protection, essential emergency household goods, medicine, nutrition and emergency education to displaced families as they move to safer locations.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/11/drc-turk-urges-de-escalation-protection-civilians-following-renewed http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-fighting-eastern-drc-having-devastating-impact-children http://www.acaps.org/country/drc/special-reports#container-1845 http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/11/1130132 http://news.un.org/en/news/region/africa http://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/01/fighting-eastern-congo-puts-civilians-risk-again http://www.globalr2p.org/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/ http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1155972/?iso3=COD   * While an upsurge of violence in North Kivu has recently made headlines, a hidden crisis is enveloping neighbouring Ituri Province, where civilians face extreme daily violence that has forced 1.5 million to flee their homes:   http://www.unhcr.org/spotlight/2023/01/no-escape-for-civilians-trapped-in-eastern-dr-congos-cycle-of-violence/ http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/unhcr-concerned-conflicts-toll-hundreds-thousands-displaced-eastern-dr-congo http://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/Statement_Ituri_FINAL.pdf   July 2022   UNHCR gravely concerned by death toll of displaced in DR Congo’s east.   UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply saddened and gravely concerned by the accumulating death toll and suffering of civilians, including forcibly displaced people, in brutal attacks in DR Congo’s eastern provinces.   This unbearable situation is continuing to escalate and must no longer be ignored.   Between February and June this year, UNHCR and partners recorded over 800 deaths from firearm attacks and machete raids on local communities in Ituri. At least 715 of these victims had been sheltering in internal displacement sites or were killed as they returned home having previously fled violence.   In June alone, 97 returning or displaced people were killed in attacks that included abductions, looting and burning of homes. More than 20,700 people have been driven from their homes by such raids, which are also fuelling acute food insecurity in Ituri, a fertile region where development has been halted by decades of intercommunal clashes, stealing livelihoods from families and future generations.   In recent weeks, fighting between the Congolese Army and the M23 group in North Kivu Province has displaced more than 160,000 people across Rutshuru and Nyiragongo territories. The redeployment of government troops to this conflict has created power vacuums and a fragile security environment in both Ituri and North Kivu. Strings of coordinated attacks by multiple militia groups are terrorizing communities on a daily basis in the eastern provinces.   Insecurity compounds the existing challenge of intercommunal strife, the lack of infrastructure and an absence of institutions in the region. It also fuels intensified cycles of violence, generating further instability and undermining peace and development efforts. Such attacks are increasing the difficulties for UNHCR and partners in providing life-saving assistance to these vulnerable communities.   UNHCR calls on all parties in the strongest terms for the immediate cessation of this senseless violence, which is forcing the displacement of tens of thousands. We also call for the respect of international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians and humanitarian workers from violence, and to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice immediately.   More than 5.6 million people are displaced in the DRC, making it the largest population of internally displaced people on the African continent and among the largest worldwide.   http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2022/7/62da4d724/unhcr-gravely-concerned-death-toll-displaced-dr-congos-east.html http://www.nrc.no/news/2022/june/international-ngos-working-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-condemn-repeated-deadly-attacks-on-displaced-civilians/ http://www.msf.org/hundreds-thousands-without-food-shelter-or-healthcare-north-kivu-drc http://www.msf.org/democratic-republic-congo-drc   May 2022   DR Congo tops list of world’s most neglected crises for second year in row. (NRC)   In 2021, it took a major geological event, the eruption of Nyiragongo volcano, to trigger some brief international attention to the country. But while the world’s spotlight was on the lava flows, the plight of millions of Congolese in need of urgent assistance across the country remained neglected.   Food insecurity reached the highest level ever recorded, with 27 million people – a third of the country’s population – going hungry. At the end of 2021, DR Congo was home to more than 5.5 million internally displaced people, the third highest figure in the world. A further 1 million Congolese have sought shelter and protection outside the country.   Global indifference   DR Congo was marked by fatigue in 2021. Not from the women, men and children who lived through the daily reality of insecurity and struggle, but from political leaders and the media who once again paid little attention to the crisis. There were no high-level political discussions concerning DR Congo, such as senior officials’ meetings, donor conferences or summits. The absence of strong international political engagement was matched by the lack of media coverage. Of all the 41 humanitarian crises analysed by NRC, DR Congo received the lowest level of media attention when compared to the number of displaced people.   Unprotected civilians   The international community’s inaction compounded its inability to protect civilians. Despite the efforts of MONUSCO, the UN’s peacekeeping mission in DR Congo, the north-east of the country has been continuously plagued by intercommunal tensions and conflicts, with a dramatic increase in targeted attacks on displacement camps since November 2021. Women, men and children who had already fled attacks in their home villages were brutally murdered in the very place where they thought they had found refuge.   Lack of humanitarian funding   The growing level of needs has not been matched by a corresponding increase in support from donors to meet the humanitarian needs inside the country, and the refugee response remains severely underfunded.   2022 brings more hunger   Food prices are soaring, partly due to the war in Ukraine. Since March 2022, the cost of sugar and cooking oil has risen by 50 per cent, bread by 20 per cent and rice by 11 per cent, posing a huge challenge in a country experiencing historic levels of hunger. Insecurity and violence also persist across the country, leaving little hope for a brighter 2022.   http://www.nrc.no/shorthand/fr/the-worlds-most-neglected-displacement-crises-in-2021/index.html http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-51/en/ http://unocha.exposure.co/when-life-rhymes-with-insecurity http://www.acaps.org/country/drc/crisis/complex-crisis http://civiliansinconflict.org/blog/the-un-risks-a-failed-drawdown-in-congo-if-it-doesnt-listen-to-civilians/ http://www.globalr2p.org/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/ http://www.globalr2p.org/populations-at-risk/ http://www.nrc.no/news/2021/may/dr-congo-tops-list-of-worlds-most-neglected-crises/ http://www.wfp.org/countries/democratic-republic-congo http://www.msf.org/democratic-republic-congo-drc http://reliefweb.int/country/cod Visit the related web page
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