ReliefWeb: Updates by Country

22.11.2022 03:30 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Sources: Education Cluster, Save the Children, UN Children's Fund Please refer to the attached file. PRÉFACE La République Démocratique du Congo connait une fragilité sociale issue de divers conflits communautaires qui ont déstabilisés le tissu économique du pays sans épargner le secteur éducatif depuis plusieurs années. Les sources de fragilité sont aussi liées à la pauvreté de la population et à l’insécurité alimentaire . De plus, le pays fait face à d’autres crises comme les catastrophes naturelles et différentes épidémies y compris le Cholera, la maladie à virus d’Ébola et COVID-19. C’est dans ce contexte de crises complexes et dans le souci d’assurer une coordination efficace et efficiente des actions du secteur éducation que l’équipe de coordination de l’action humanitaire en RDC a décidé d’activer le Cluster Education en 2006. L’objectif de cette stratégie est de proposer les orientations générales pour une meilleure harmonisation de la réponse de l’Education aux situations d’urgence en RDC harmonisée, coordonnée, transparente et efficace. Quoi que résultant d’un processus consultatif, cette stratégie ne fournit pas la réponse à toutes les questions auxquelles les partenaires du secteur font face au quotidien. Cependant, elle constitue le fondement stratégique qui va guider la prise des décisions sur la qualité des interventions pertinentes et adaptées au contexte de chaque zone d’intervention afin d’assurer une bonne réponse aux besoins des enfants en âge scolaire, dont le droit à une éducation de qualité dans un environnement protecteur, est affecté par les différentes crises que connait le pays. Nous profitons de cette occasion pour remercier tous les partenaires membres du cluster Education qui se sont impliqués dans le développement de cette stratégie en appui au Gouvernement de la RDC. Cette stratégie n’étant pas statique, elle aura besoin d’être périodiquement revue pour s’adapter à l’évolution du contexte humanitaire. Nous vous remercions aussi, par avance, pour la prise en compte de ce document et la contribution que vous apporterez dans sa future révision sur base des leçons apprises.

21.11.2022 19:10 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: Salesian Missions Don Bosco Kansebula also has a 44-hectare farm that supplies food More than 360 youth received nutritional support at Don Bosco Kansebula, located in Lubumbashi, *, thanks to donor funding from , the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Youth benefiting from this food were ages 6-22. Many are are in secondary school and college as well as 82 young Salesians studying at Don Bosco Kansebula. Single mothers from the villages also received this donation. The goal was to provide ongoing balanced nutrition for young Salesians and other vulnerable youth. Don Bosco Kansebula also has a 44-hectare farm that supplies food for the Salesian formation house and to the village nearby. Since its beginning, Don Bosco Kansebula has provided young Salesians with philosophy education and has given them shelter and nutritional support while at the school. Villagers living near Don Bosco Kansebula have used the farm to cultivate food for themselves and the community. One of the beneficiaries was Kyundundu Mbilizi Fabrice, who is 25 and in high school, Fabrice said, "I studied agriculture in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at Uvira. Now, I am at Kansebula as Salesian of Don Bosco in post-novitiate. At Kansebula, we have a garden and we produce vegetables and keep some domestical animals. Villages and confreres have benefited from what is produced in the garden and in the farm as well. I am really happy for what our benefactors are doing for us in order to fight hunger and I encourage them to continue in that direction." Salesian missionaries have been working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than 100 years ensuring that the most vulnerable children are not forgotten. Salesian primary and secondary schools and programs lay the foundation for early learning while Salesian trade, vocational and agricultural programs offer many youth the opportunity for a stable and productive future. Despite its vast material wealth, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has long been a very poor nation. Half of the country's population lives below the poverty line living on less than $1 a day, especially those in rural communities. Because of ongoing strife and violence within the country, more than 8.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. More than 4.1 million Congolese are now displaced with 620,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries. More than 7.5 million people do not have enough food to eat.

21.11.2022 19:10 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Sources: Shelter Cluster, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached Infographic.

21.11.2022 19:10 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Sources: Shelter Cluster, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached Infographic.

21.11.2022 19:10 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Sources: Shelter Cluster, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached Infographic.

21.11.2022 19:10 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Sources: Shelter Cluster, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached Infographic.

18.11.2022 22:50 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Sources: Government of Belgium, Government of France, Government of the United Kingdom, US Department of State MEDIA NOTE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON NOVEMBER 18, 2022 The United States along with the Great Lakes Special Envoys of Belgium, France and the UK condemn in the strongest terms the continuing advance of the UN-sanctioned March 23 Movement illegal armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The resumption of violence since 20 October, including in and around the towns of Rutshuru, Kiwanja, Rumangabo and Kibumba, undermines peace efforts and has caused further insecurity and significant human suffering. We call on the M23 to immediately withdraw, end any acts violating international law, and to cease hostilities. We reiterate our support for regional diplomatic efforts, including the Nairobi and Luanda processes, that promote de-escalation and create the conditions for lasting peace in DRC. We encourage renewed dialogue through these mechanisms and for Congolese non-state armed groups to participate in the Nairobi process. All support to non-state armed actors must stop, including external support to M23. We call on countries in the region to use all means available to them to urge an immediate cessation of hostilities and immediate resumption of consultations on concrete steps to deescalate current tensions. We reaffirm our commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the Great Lakes region.

18.11.2022 22:50 Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, World Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ceci est un résumé des propos tenus par Elizabeth Tan, Directrice de la protection internationale du HCR - à qui toute citation peut être attribuée - lors de la conférence de presse du 18 novembre 2022 au Palais des Nations à Genève. Le HCR, l'Agence des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés, a aujourd'hui une , réitérant son appel en faveur d'une interdiction des renvois forcés vers les provinces orientales du Nord-Kivu, du Sud-Kivu et de l'Ituri, y compris pour les requérants d'asile dont la demande a été rejetée. Le HCR appelle également les États à accorder aux réfugiés l’accès à leur territoire et à les traiter conformément à la Convention de l’OUA de 1969 régissant les aspects propres aux problèmes des réfugiés en Afrique. De plus, un grand nombre de personnes fuyant la RDC sont susceptibles de remplir les critères de la Convention de 1951 pour obtenir le statut de réfugié. Le HCR est préoccupé par une recrudescence des attaques contre les civils, y compris ceux résidant dans des sites de déplacés dans l’est du pays. Lors de l'une de ces dans la province de l'Ituri en février 2022, les membres d'un groupe armé non étatique ont tué au moins 62 personnes et en ont blessé plus de 40 autres. Depuis février dernier, des attaques comme celle-ci ont entraîné la mort de plus de 1000 personnes qui avaient trouvé refuge dans des sites de déplacés ou qui tentaient de rentrer chez elles. Depuis le début de l'année 2022, le HCR a enregistré plus de 50 000 violations des droits de la population civile, y compris des réfugiés et des personnes déplacées internes. L’escalade du conflit armé ne fait qu’exacerber cette situation. Depuis le 20 octobre, 188 000 personnes ont été nouvellement déplacées par les combats entre le groupe rebelle M23 et l’armée congolaise. Avant même ce tout dernier pic de déplacement forcé, on estimait à 5,6 millions le nombre de Congolais déplacés à l’intérieur du pays. Un million d’autres ont trouvé refuge dans 22 pays d’Afrique, ce qui en fait l’une des plus importantes crises humanitaires au monde. La grande majorité, 4,9 millions de personnes, ont été déplacées à l’intérieur du pays par le conflit dans le Nord-Kivu, le Sud-Kivu et l’Ituri, tandis que près de 700 000 personnes ont été déplacées en raison de conditions météorologiques extrêmes. Les États ont la responsabilité juridique et morale de permettre aux personnes qui fuient les conflits en cours de se mettre en sécurité, de leur accorder l’asile conformément à la Convention de l’OUA de 1969 – et, le cas échéant, en vertu de la Convention de 1951 relative au statut des réfugiés –, et de ne pas renvoyer les réfugiés de force. La recommandation du HCR interdisant les renvois forcés vers les provinces du Nord-Kivu, du Sud-Kivu et de l’Ituri en RDC reste en vigueur jusqu’à ce que les conditions s’améliorent et permettent des retours sûrs et dignes. Pour de plus amples informations à ce sujet, veuillez svp contacter : En RD Congo, Joel Smith, smithj@unhcr.org, +243825257774 A Pretoria , Pumla Rulashe, rulashe@unhcr.org, +27 82 377 5665 A Genève, Boris Cheshirkov, cheshirk@unhcr.org, +41 79 433 7682 A New York, Kathryn Mahoney, mahoney@unhcr.org, +1 347 443 7646

18.11.2022 22:50 Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, World Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. Introduction This position supersedes and replaces the 2019 UNHCR Position on Returns to North Kivu, South Kivu and Adjacent Areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Update II.1 The security and human rights situation in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri has further deteriorated,2 affected by escalating armed conflict, inter-ethnic and political violence, dire humanitarian conditions and serious violations of human rights.3 Armed violence in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo has intensified in recent years as numerous armed groups continue to fight against the Congolese armed forces and the UN Stabilization Mission and attack the civilian population; a resurgence of the Mouvement du 23 mars since November 2021 is further destabilizing the area.4 In North Kivu, intense fighting between FARDC and M23 forces in Rutshuru territory during 2022, as well as sporadic attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces , has led to large-scale forced displacement, serious human rights violations and abuses, and increased inter-community tension and hate speech.5 In South Kivu, cycles of violence have resulted in forced displacement and conflict-related human rights violations and abuses.6 The conflict in Ituri involving the Lendu and Hema tribes has continued, with attacks by Lendu militias against Hema villagers and displacement camps since November 2021, as well as retaliatory attacks by Hema militia, resulting in further displacement.7 In response to the violence in North Kivu and Ituri, on 3 May 2021 President Tshisekedi imposed martial law under a state of siege in the two provinces; human rights groups allege that the measure has caused an increase in civilian casualties and human rights violations.8 The situation has been further complicated by the involvement of regional actors, with Ugandan troops fighting the ADF in the northeast and Burundian troops engaged in operations against the Burundian armed rebel group Résistance pour un Etat de droit au Burundi in South Kivu.9 On 20 December 2021, the UN Security Council approved a one-year extension of MONUSCO’s mandate, including its armed component which comprises a maximum of 13,500 military personnel.10 In June 2022, the East African Community decided to send a Kenya-led regional force to assist the DRC in fighting rebel groups in the eastern provinces.11

18.11.2022 22:50 Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, World Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. This is a summary of what was said by Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR’s Director of International Protection – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has today an updated for the Democratic Republic of the Congo , reiterating its call for a ban on forced returns, including of asylum-seekers who have had their claims rejected, to the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri. UNHCR also calls on States to grant refugees access to their territory and treat them in accordance with the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, and the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. UNHCR is concerned about a rise in attacks on civilians, including those residing in sites for displaced people in the east of the country. In one such in February 2022, a non-state armed group killed at least 62 people and injured more than 40 others. Since February, attacks like this one have resulted in over 1,000 deaths of people sheltering in displacement sites or attempting to return to their homes. Since the beginning of 2022, UNHCR has recorded more than 50,000 violations against the rights of the civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced people. Escalating armed conflict is further exacerbating the situation. Since 20 October, 188,000 people have been newly displaced by fighting between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese Army. Even before the latest spike in displacement, an estimated 5.6 million Congolese were internally displaced. Another 1 million have found refuge in 22 countries in Africa, making it one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. The vast majority, 4.9 million, were internally displaced by conflict across North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri while nearly 700,000 have been displaced due to extreme weather. Humanitarian needs continue to rise and humanitarian access is significantly constrained while humanitarian programmes are severely underfunded. UNHCR has received just 43 per cent of the funds needed this year with less than 6 weeks before the end of 2022. States have a legal and moral responsibility to allow those fleeing ongoing conflict to seek safety, be accorded asylum in line with the 1969 OAU Convention, and as applicable, under the 1951 Refugee Convention, and not to forcibly return refugees. UNHCR’s advisory against forced returns to the DRC’s provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri remains in effect until conditions improve enough to allow for safe and dignified returns. For more information on this topic, please contact: In DR Congo, Joel Smith, smithj@unhcr.org, +243825257774 In Pretoria , Pumla Rulashe, rulashe@unhcr.org, +27 82 377 5665 In Geneva, Boris Cheshirkov, cheshirk@unhcr.org, +41 79 433 7682 In New York, Kathryn Mahoney, mahoney@unhcr.org, +1 347 574 6552

18.11.2022 14:40 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees This is a summary of what was said by Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR’s Director of International Protection – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has released today an updated for the Democratic Republic of the Congo , reiterating its call for a ban on forced returns, including of asylum-seekers who have had their claims rejected, to the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri. UNHCR also calls on States to grant refugees access to their territory and treat them in accordance with the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, and the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. UNHCR is concerned about a rise in attacks on civilians, including those residing in sites for displaced people in the east of the country. In one such in February 2022, a non-state armed group killed at least 62 people and injured more than 40 others. Since February, attacks like this one have resulted in over 1,000 deaths of people sheltering in displacement sites or attempting to return to their homes. Since the beginning of 2022, UNHCR has recorded more than 50,000 violations against the rights of the civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced people. Escalating armed conflict is further exacerbating the situation. Since 20 October, 188,000 people have been newly displaced by fighting between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese Army. Even before the latest spike in displacement, an estimated 5.6 million Congolese were internally displaced. Another 1 million have found refuge in 22 countries in Africa, making it one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. The vast majority, 4.9 million, were internally displaced by conflict across North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri while nearly 700,000 have been displaced due to extreme weather. Humanitarian needs continue to rise and humanitarian access is significantly constrained while humanitarian programmes are severely underfunded. UNHCR has received just 43 per cent of the funds needed this year with less than 6 weeks before the end of 2022. States have a legal and moral responsibility to allow those fleeing ongoing conflict to seek safety, be accorded asylum in line with the 1969 OAU Convention, and as applicable, under the 1951 Refugee Convention, and not to forcibly return refugees. UNHCR’s advisory against forced returns to the DRC’s provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri remains in effect until conditions improve enough to allow for safe and dignified returns. For more information on this topic, please contact: In DR Congo, Joel Smith, smithj@unhcr.org, +243825257774 In Pretoria , Pumla Rulashe, rulashe@unhcr.org, +27 82 377 5665 In Geneva, Boris Cheshirkov, cheshirk@unhcr.org, +41 79 433 7682 In New York, Kathryn Mahoney, mahoney@unhcr.org, +1 347 574 6552

18.11.2022 14:40 Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda Source: European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations The armed conflict between the non-state armed actor “M23” and the Congolese army persists in North Kivu province. The fighting has created massive displacement with at least 262,000 people having fled their homes since March 2022, when fighting started. The protection of civilians remains a major challenge and an estimated 20,000 children urgently need protection assistance. While access is hampered, humanitarian organisations continue to provide assistance to conflict-affected, displaced persons. The World Food Programme delivered food rations for 15 days to approximately 82,000 displaced in Nyiragongo territory. Aid organisations provide support to existing health structures and employ mobile health clinics. A specific response plan requires USD 76.3 million and is currently 42% funded. North Kivu, like other provinces in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo , suffers from a steep escalation of targeted attacks by armed groups against civilians. There are over 1.6 million internally displaced persons in North Kivu and around 5.7 million IDPs in total in the DRC. In addition, over 8,000 Congolese have sought asylum in neighbouring Uganda since end October. The influx continues and is seriously stretching Uganda’s reception and protection capacity.

17.11.2022 20:40 Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, United States of America Source: US Agency for International Development Please refer to the attached file. COUP D’ŒIL SUR LA SITUATION 106,7 MILLIONS Population estimée de la RDC OCHA, décembre 2021 518 899 Estimation du nombre de réfugiés ayant trouvé asile en RDC UNHCR, août 2022 5,5 MILLIONS Estimation du nombre de PDIP en RDC UNHCR, juillet 2022 MILLIONS Estimation du nombre de personnes ayant besoin d’une assistance en 2022 OCHA, février 2022 MILLION Estimation du nombre de réfugiés congolais dans les pays voisins UNHCR, août 202 Selon FEWS NET, entre 7,5 et 10 millions de personnes dans toute la RDC seront confrontées à des niveaux élevés d’insécurité alimentaire aiguë jusqu’en mars 2023. La mutinerie du M23 a entraîné le déplacement de 233 000 personnes dans les territoires de Nyiragongo et de Rutshuru de la province du Nord-Kivu depuis le mois de mars 2022. Les attaques de plus en plus fréquentes perpétrées par des groupes armés à l’encontre des civils continuent d’empirer les conditions humanitaires dans la province de l’Ituri. En raison des conflits territoriaux dans la province occidentale de Maï-Ndombe de la RDC, plus de 35 000 personnes ont été contraintes de migrer dans une région où les acteurs humanitaires sont rares

17.11.2022 20:40 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: World Health Organization Kinshasa – Nathalie* looked upon her convalescent baby, hope slowly wiping away distress. Her 12-month-old boy had been admitted to St Luc Hospital in Kisantu, a town in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital Kinshasa, when initial treatment proved ineffective. “For three days he suffered so much that I thought he would not recover,” says Nathalie. The fever, diarrhoea and vomiting persisted despite medication. It took the hospital staff four days to finally find a suitable treatment for the child. Analysis revealed that the infant was not responding to treatment due to antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is among the top 10 public health threats in the world. It occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites adapt over time and no longer respond to drugs, making it more complex to treat infections and increasing the risk of spread, severe illness, and death. The phenomenon is largely due to excessive or abusive use of drugs. Dr Daniel Vita Mayimona, who works at St Luc Hospital, says that three years ago they observed a spike in cases unresponsive treatment. “We were seeing a strange phenomenon that attacked only under 5 children,” recalls Dr Mayimona. “After analysing samples taken from patients, we were able to identify the bacteria that was causing this situation.” Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest mortality rate worldwide due to antimicrobial resistance, with 99 deaths per 100 000 people. Across the African region, World Health Organization is working with governments and health authorities to reinforce measures against antimicrobial resistance. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO in September 2022 trained 26 medical analysis technicians from eight pilot laboratories in the use of WHONET software, an application designed by WHO to manage and analyse microbiology laboratory data through an antimicrobial surveillance lens. “One of WHO's major roles is to equip laboratory and health staff with adequate capacity to improve surveillance and effectively document antimicrobial resistance in decision-making in the face of this public health threat,” says Dr Amédée Prosper Djiguimdé, WHO Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For Professor Octavie Lunguya, Head of the Microbiology Department at the country’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, data gathered through the WHONET paves a clear path to tracking and responding to antimicrobial resistance. “WHONET instantly gives us an immediate sense of the quality of the data, the pathogens, their origin, the resistance profile of the different germs, and even tracks the isolation of certain germs,” he says. A month after the WHONET software training, the National Institute for Biomedical Research submitted 5500 antimicrobial resistance data—including 4720 from Kisantu—from 2021. WHONET, in conjunction with the Global System for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance and Use , allows real-time monitoring of antimicrobial resistance trends and detection of emerging resistance. It also facilitates the estimation of the antimicrobial resistance burden on states. At St Luc Hospital, the 2019 spike in antimicrobial resistance among children prompted the adoption of a new treatment protocol put in place with support from the National Institute for Biomedical Research and the University Clinics of Kinshasa. The new protocol helped save the lives of 212 children. “Today, if we’re able to save many lives, it’s thanks to WHO trainings that have allowed us to better monitor resistance and respond to it in less than a week,” says Dr Mayimona. Antimicrobial resistance takes a heavy toll on both patients and healthcare workers. In addition to complicating treatment when known therapies no longer respond, leading to death and disability, there are long periods of hospitalization and prohibitively expensive treatments. “If we are to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages, we must continue to focus on early warning, reduction and risk management of antimicrobials, while stressing the importance of a multisectoral approach that includes human and animal medicine in infection prevention and control,” Dr Djiguimdé says. With the resistant bacteria identified and treatment adapted, Nathalie's son is now on his way to better health. “We’ll be heading home in a few days,” she says, as her son plays with his blanket. “And when we do, I’ll be encouraging my neighbours to stop self-medication, especially for antibiotics without a doctor's prescription.” *Pseudonym

17.11.2022 20:40 Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: World Vision Please refer to the attached file. Atleast 90,000 people displaced since October 20, in a country already home to Africa’s highest number of internally displaced people at over 5.6 million. The need is huge and growing, yet help is only trickling. Organisations are resorting to reallocate resources from equally urgent ongoing responses. The displaced, especially children, are highly vulnerable to disease outbreaks in a country where 27 million people are already affected by acute food insecurity. Droves of people continue to flock already overcrowded camps of displaced persons in East Democratic Republic of Congo following sustained fighting between the government forces and the M23, creating unthinkable human suffering. Atleast 90,000 people, displaced since October 20, need urgent supplies of food, water and proper shelter after fleeing advances of armed groups in eastern DR Congo. Some already displaced families are fleeing for their lives yet again, with almost nothing. They are now surviving in squalid conditions outdoors, under trees, in school classrooms and churches where they suffer heavy downpours, with near to zero support. “Families that have fled are in a desperate state. They lack food to eat, clean water to drink, almost no change of clothes, and are crammed in classrooms and churches with limited access to toilets. In this situation, the children are extremely vulnerable to hunger, ill health, sexual violence and getting lost, ” warns Aline Napon, World Vision’s National Director to the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We need secured humanitarian access to the affected communities and a rapid scale up of emergency supplies. These must include food, cash assistance, WASH and dignity family kits ,” World Vision's David Munkley in East DRC says. World Vision is currently on the ground attending to multiple crises in the country with the support of food and water, protection, and psychosocial needs to the displaced population, but the needs outweigh the supply. The crowded camps lacking the necessary sanitation facilities during the prevailing rainy season have left the affected communities susceptible to the outbreak of diseases like cholera and dysentry. Children are missing out on meals, education, medical care, and some could even die. Note to editor: The D.R Congo is already the world’s largest hunger crisis and home to Africa’s highest number of internally displaced people at over 5.6 million. The most recent displacements only add to the number.