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Democratic Republic of Congo
Why are we in Democratic Republic of Congo? Concern Worldwide has been working in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1994. Our teams intervene in the sectors of Water, Hygiene and Sanitation, Nutrition and Livelihoods, and Gender & Protection with a focus on the Eastern part of the country.
The second largest number of internally displaced persons in the world
With 5.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) currently hosts the second largest number of internally displaced persons in the world (HRP2021). In addition, 27.3M people are affected by acute food insecurity in the DRC, making it the worse food security crisis in the world ever recorded (IPC analysis 2021).
The Covid-19 pandemic affected the economy, exacerbating the structural problems that already exist with a large majority of the population living in extreme poverty and lacking access to basic health and social services.
The global acute malnutrition rate increased to 6.5% in 2021 with 4.4M people suffering from acute malnutrition including 3.4M children under five. This high malnutrition rate is linked to food insecurity and recurrent epidemics and aggravated by displacements, lack of water and hygiene infrastructure and poor access to health and nutrition services.
Access to WASH services remains limited, only 31% of the population has access to improved water sources. 56% of the population uses unimproved toilets and 12% do not have access to basic sanitation facilities.
The Covid-19 pandemic, the prevalence of Cholera and potential Ebola outbreaks contribute to the complexity of the humanitarian situation in DRC. Finally, the Nyiragongo volcanic eruption on 22 May 2021 and subsequent earthquakes destroyed houses and displaced more than 200,000 people in Goma.
Latest achievements
Emergency assistance
In 2021, Concern supported 3,000 households with regular cash transfers and business skills training, to help restore their livelihoods. Meanwhile, in 2020, 159,000 displaced people received emergency assistance from Concern’s Rapid Response Team.
Health
Gender equality
Irene Ngoyi tending a community garden, Manono Territory, DRC. Photo: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham/Concern Worldwide
A family leaves their neighbourhood in Goma, after the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, DRC. Photo: Esdras Tsongo/Concern Worldwide
Women return from farmland with baskets of vegetables and firewood in the DRC. Photo: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham/Concern Worldwide
A Concern staff member checks the names of IDPs who have been registered to receive assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: Esdras Tsongo/Concern Worldwide
Adrenise in the village of Kaiha, Manono Territory. Photo: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham/Concern Worldwide
Providing high quality assistance
With programmes in North Kivu and Tanganyika, Concern Worldwide DRC is developing and implementing programmes along the full emergency continuum, ranging from rapid response and humanitarian assistance to early recovery assistance and development interventions.
Concern’s objective is to alleviate poverty and hunger to provide high quality assistance through innovative programmes and with a strong focus on transforming existing gender norms and integrating protection principles.
Supported with funding from Irish Aid, BHA, FCDO, ECHO, BMZ, SIDA and foundations, in 2020 Concern reached more than 400,000 of the most vulnerable people with emergency cash interventions, gender trainings, WASH, food security, livelihoods, nutrition, and shelter programmes
How we're helping in DRC
We’re alleviating suffering in DRC through our emergency response programmes and building resilience by tackling malnutrition and gender equality.
Rapid response
Building resilience
Graduation model
Latest from Democratic Republic of Congo
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