UNITED NATIONS, Dec 23 (NNN-Xinhua) — With more than five million displaced people, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the African country most affected by internal displacement, according to the UN.
The displacement is mainly due to violence, and the country is home to some 517,000 refugees from neighboring countries, UN secretary-general’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
In addition, the DRC continues to face an acute and multifaceted humanitarian crisis which will require, in the months to come, substantial funding and reinforced coordination, he warned.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, he said, almost 16 million people in the DRC face severe acute food insecurity in 2019, adding epidemics have also affected the lives of millions of people in the country.
Despite shortage of funding this year, the UN and humanitarian partners reached over four million people with food aid; and over 2.5 million people with health care. The UN also distributed more than 20 million U.S. dollars in cash assistance, the spokesman noted.
In 2020, he said, the UN will have to redouble its efforts to respond to the needs and it is asking for 1.8 billion dollars to assist some 8.1 million people in the DRC. — NNN-XINHUA