UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Published purpose

The humanitarian and security situations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo remain a cause for concern. North Kivu, South Kivu and Orientale Province are plagued by serious human rights violations, food insecurity, high mortality and morbidity rates, horrific sexual violence and considerable and continuing displacement of population groups, which leads to medical, sanitary and nutritional problems. While a large number of displaced have returned home with a return to stability in some areas, the forcibly displaced people are still estimated at over two million and live alongside vulnerable hosting communities. UNICEF operations in the DRC aim to help meet the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations affected by ongoing conflicts and insecurity, particularly in the sectors of water, sanitation, health and nutrition. With UNICEF as the lead agency in these sectors, activities focus primarily on: ensuring equitable access to safe water supplies and water quality monitoring; helping to improve sanitation and hygiene practices of affected populations through education and training; and strengthening local capacity to prevent avoidable mortality and morbidity, including through disease outbreak control, safe motherhood interventions and nutrition surveillance.