February 2020 – The crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is characterized by inter-ethnic conflict and widespread human rights abuses, including sexual violence. In 2020, 15.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the DRC, a 22% increase from 2019, and it is expected that 2020 brings additional population movement, creating significant needs in protection, livelihoods, and food security. Currently, the DRC is home to the second largest food crisis, with almost 16 million people severely food insecure. In addition, it is home to the largest internally-displaced persons (IDP) population in Africa with 5.01 million displaced people. These needs are exacerbated by the ongoing Ebola outbreak, increased violence, and the forced return of hundreds of thousands of Congolese refugees. With GAC’s support, People in Need is providing assistance to address the urgent needs of up to 24,524 conflict-affected people in Kabambare territory, DRC. This project focuses on improving water, sanitation and hygiene conditions of health structures (such as hospitals, clinics, health care centers), preventing and treating malnutrition, and providing basic health services to conflict-affected people. Project activities include: (1) distributing up to 48 medical kits to existing health structures; (2) providing sanitation and hygiene kits to health structures; (3) providing training to over 60 community health volunteers; and (4) distributing food supplements and equipment to help treat severe acute malnutrition.
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to quality life-saving treatment for those suffering from severe acute malnutrition; (2) increased access to quality life-saving primary healthcare services and complementary packages for children aged 0-59 months, women in reproductive age, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence; and (3) improved water, sanitation and hygiene conditions of health structures. The expected ultimate outcome is reduced suffering, increased and maintained human dignity and lives saved particularly of the most vulnerable girls, boys, women and men affected by conflict and nutrition insecurity.
