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UNICEF Democratic Republic of the Congo Humanitarian Situation Report No. 12 - December 2019

Countries
DR Congo
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date

Highlights

• Armed conflicts and violence against civilians continued to cause new displacements across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and further exacerbate humanitarian needs in the eastern region of the country. From January to late December, nearly 3,300 conflict-related deaths in the DRC have been recorded, of which more than 90 percent of incidents occurred in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces

• Between January and December, the DRC faced a record-breaking measles epidemic, affecting more than a quarter of a million people and over 5,000 deaths have been reported

• In 2019, UNICEF DRC had a funding gap of USD$ 224.3 million* (69%), which limited UNICEF’s response in nutrition, education and communication for development

• During the month of December, at least 900,000 people were affected by floods in 12 provinces of the DRC

Funding Overview and Partnerships

UNICEF appeals for US$ 326M to sustain provision of life-saving services for women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In December 2019, ECHO, German National Committee for UNICEF, and CERF have generously contributed to UNICEF DRC humanitarian response. UNICEF expresses its sincere gratitude to all public and private donors for the contributions received. However, the 2019 HAC still has a funding gap of 69%, which has affected UNICEF’s response in nutrition, education, and communication for development. To meet the immediate response needs, UNICEF has reallocated US$ 400,000 from regular resources to respond to flooding crisis in North and South Ubangi.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Flooding: As of December, over 900,000 people1 were estimated to have been affected by floods across the DRC, of which 40% of affected persons were in Nord Ubangi (246,000 people) and Sud Ubangi provinces (208,000 people). In the two provinces, the floods have caused significant material damage with over 32,000 houses destroyed, 632 water sources and 142 schools and health centers damaged.

Cholera: As of week 52, 30,129 cases2 of cholera have been recorded in 22 provinces of the DRC, of which 513 deaths were notified. During the reporting period, the most affected provinces were South Kivu, Haut Katanga, North Kivu, Tanganyika, Tshopo and Haut Lomami provinces, of which 660 out of the 714 cases were reported.

Nutrition: In December 2019, a total of 26 of the 456 health zones3 were in nutritional alerts in 10 provinces of the DRC.

Child Protection: In Djugu territory, Ituri province, a total of 85 Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) cases have been documented after the peak of attacks in September. In Masisi and Rutshuru territories, Nord Kivu province, alarming trends have been observed with respectively 40 and 52 Children formerly Associated with Armed Forces/Groups (CAAFAG) identified and assisted per month.

Internally displaced populations (IDPs): As of December, four waves of population displacements were recorded in North Kivu as a result violent militia clash. These incidents led to the displacement of more than 110,200 persons4 , who are currently living in host communities. The affected populations live in precarious conditions with significant needs in health care, WASH, food, dignity kits for women and girls. In South Kivu province, over 91,250 IDPs fled from Minembwe (Fizi Territory) and Itombwe sector (Mwenga Territory) between September and November, towards the lower highlands and Tanganyika coastline in Fizi Territory5 . These mass population displacements have further exacerbated the living conditions of host communities.
Measles: Since January, 316,550 cases of measles have been reported in all 26 provinces of the country, of which 6,102 deaths (1,9% lethality rate) were recorded. The number of measles cases in DRC this year is more than triple the number recorded for all of 2018.

Ebola: As of 15th of December 2019, 3,230 confirmed cases and 2,095 deaths linked to Ebola have been recorded in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.