UN: DR Congo Facing One of the World’s “Most Acute Humanitarian Emergencies”

UN: DR Congo Facing One of the World’s “Most Acute Humanitarian Emergencies”
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing one of the most severe humanitarian emergencies in the world, Anadolu Agency revealed quoting a senior UN official. Speaking at a UN Security Council session, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, warned that violence and instability are continuing to devastate civilians in the country’s eastern region.

Pobee stated that 5.9 million Congolese are internally displaced, with 1.5 million in South Kivu alone. She noted that while recent peace agreements have brought some diplomatic hope, the security situation on the ground has not improved. She cited a dramatic rise in civilian casualties and a continuation of conflict-related sexual violence and forced child recruitment.

Pobee also identified the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) as a major threat to civilians, reporting that 185 civilians, including children, have been killed and hundreds have been kidnapped since early July. Earlier in the month, the UN human rights office had reported that M23 rebels killed at least 319 civilians in a series of attacks in North Kivu province in July.