The United States has committed $414 million in humanitarian assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), addressing the urgent needs of over 25 million people in the country. This announcement, made one day ago, underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the second-largest African nation by area.
Jeffrey Prescott, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, detailed that the aid package will support various sectors, including food assistance, healthcare, nutrition, shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene. The funding will be channeled through United Nations agencies and aid groups operating in the DRC.
The DRC, home to over 200 ethnic groups and the second-largest rainforest in the world, has been grappling with multiple challenges. Since 2022, the country's army has been engaged in a conflict with M23 insurgents, leading to the displacement of approximately 7.2 million people. This ongoing crisis has exacerbated the humanitarian situation in a nation already struggling with one of the lowest GDP per capita globally, despite its vast mineral resources including cobalt, copper, and diamonds.
Lucy Tamlyn, U.S. Ambassador to the DRC, joined Prescott in Kinshasa to formally announce the aid. The assistance includes direct support of agricultural commodities from American farmers, aiming to address food insecurity in a country where more than one million children are at risk of acute malnutrition.
"This funding also includes direct support (of) agricultural commodities from American farmers"
The latest contribution brings the total U.S. funding for the DRC since October 2023 to $838 million. However, the scale of the crisis remains daunting. The United Nations' aid appeal for $2.6 billion for the DRC this year is only one-third funded, highlighting the need for increased international support.
In addition to the humanitarian aid, the U.S. will provide $10 million for health assistance and donate 50,000 mpox vaccines. This intervention comes as the DRC faces a severe mpox outbreak that has affected around 27,000 people and claimed over 1,100 lives, mostly children, since early 2023. The country's history of health crises, including multiple Ebola outbreaks since 1976, underscores the importance of this medical support.
Prescott expressed hope that this substantial U.S. contribution would encourage other nations to "step up as well" in supporting the DRC. The country, which gained independence in 1960, has been plagued by conflicts for decades, hosting the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world (MONUSCO).
Despite these challenges, the DRC holds immense potential. It is home to over 1,000 bird species, making it a biodiversity hotspot, and its Virunga National Park, established in 1925, is Africa's oldest. The country's flag, adopted in 2006, features a star symbolizing a bright future – a hope that international aid and support aim to nurture amidst ongoing crises.