Speaking from Kinshasa, Dr. Jorge Castilla, WHOSenior emergency officer’s, told journalists at regular communication in Geneva had a large increase in displacement due to ongoing violence promoted by armed groups, leaving some 7.4 million people in need of medical assistance.
Illness and displacement
Since March 2022, nearly three million people have been forced to flee their homes in the east of the country, in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.
Dr Castilla said many people on the move were attacked repeatedly. In the Goma area, “when they move, disease moves with them. Cholera has spread throughout the region and is now common with 25,000 cases. The area they go to has the highest number.”
The country’s health system is under enormous pressure due to the overlapping outbreak of COVID-19, measles, polio, mpox. The WHO says yellow fever, cholera and malaria are on the rise due to recurring natural disasters and shortages of clean water and sanitation for people on the go.
Cholera still exists
Agency data shows that since mid-March, the DRC has experienced an average of 1,000 cholera cases per week. As of June 12, a total of 24,562 cases and 156 deaths reported.
ONE Measles vaccination campaign are scheduled for the coming days WHO said. The two provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu alone accounted for 82% of the more than 136,000 measles cases recorded this year, including 2,000 deaths.
In addition to widespread insecurity, floods earlier this year killed and injured hundreds of people, and affected 36 medical facilities in North Kivu, South Kivu, Kasai and Tshopo provinces, making families increasing demand for health care.
Attacks by armed groups on medical facilities have also affected the ability to provide health care.
Health system ‘really strained’
Due to landslides caused by floods, facilities were destroyed along with loss of life and injuries, “so Dr. Castilla said the entire health system is under strain.
The WHO expert says hunger and malnutrition are on the rise, forcing some displaced people to return to sporadic regions of origin just to survive and exposing them to more violence, shocks and shocks. on mental health and psychosocial stress.
“There is an increase in malnutrition and a widening gap between need and support,” Dr. Castilla noted. “The entire UN humanitarian system decided on the 16th of this month to implement a three-month scaling-up for everyone in order to improve the actions of the various partners there.”
the world’s highest
He added that nearly 26 million people are facing severe food insecurity this year. the highest number of unsafe foods anywhere in the world.
Acute malnutrition is seriously affecting children under 5 years old, pregnant and lactating women.
WHO says of the $174 million needed to provide emergency medical assistance, only $23 million (13%) has been raised to date.
