PRESS RELEASE : UK announces new humanitarian support package in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [May 2023]

• new UK humanitarian programme, worth £21 million this year, to focus on extreme needs in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• the programme will provide lifesaving assistance in emergencies, support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), treatment for severely malnourished children and help those affected by conflict to recover and re-establish their livelihoods
• the programme will build on the UK’s track record of providing life-saving humanitarian support to the most vulnerable Congolese

The UK is today (Friday 26 May) announcing a new humanitarian programme in the DRC which will spend £21 million this year. The programme is part of the UK’s long-term commitment to reducing the impact of humanitarian crises in the DRC through assisting those in greatest need and protecting the most vulnerable.

The programme will focus on 3 key areas:

• prioritising humanitarian assistance to those that need it most, those recently displaced and those affected by conflict and disaster
• protecting those at risk, reducing violence against women and girls, and helping survivors to recover, and to be safe
• preventing cycles of humanitarian crisis by helping those affected by conflict and displacement to recover, to rebuild livelihoods, and support communities’ resilience

The humanitarian crisis in the DRC remains one of the world’s most severe, with record levels of displacement and suffering. Through the new programme, the UK will support impacted populations to recover and rebuild their lives. We will continue to work closely with the Government of the DRC and our international partners to support stability, peace and prosperity for all Congolese.

The programme will build upon the UK’s long-standing humanitarian commitment to the DRC. Since 2017, the UK’s humanitarian programmes have:

• provided over 2.5 million people with cash, vouchers, or food
• provided 2.4 million people with shelter and household items
• treated nearly 350,000 children with severe acute malnutrition
• integrated over 100,000 children back into school
• supported 13,000 SGBV/trauma survivors
• reunited nearly 4,000 separated children

The UK is committed to tackling humanitarian crises around the world, as set out in the UK government’s Strategy for International Development. The strategy commits to stepping up the UK’s life-saving humanitarian work to prevent the worst forms of human suffering around the world, and to leading globally on a more effective international response to humanitarian crises. The UK will continue to work with the Government of the DRC and humanitarian actors to improve prioritisation of support, protection of civilians, access for humanitarian actors, and the overall effectiveness of the humanitarian system.

Development Director Laura Mazal said:

The UK is committed to providing urgent support to the most vulnerable Congolese who are in desperate need. That’s why today I’m announcing $26 million of new humanitarian support.

UK support will provide lifesaving assistance to those who have been displaced from their homes. It will support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. It will provide treatment for severely malnourished children. And it will help those affected by conflict recover and re-establish their livelihoods.

But we cannot act alone. The government and international community must work together to save lives, protect civilians from abuses and bring an end to the violence that causes so much suffering.