The activities proposed hereinafter are subject to the adoption of financing decision ECHO/WWD/ BUD/2013/01000
- BACKGROUND
Despite its abundant natural resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was ranked last in the world in the Human Development Index in 2011 and its vulnerability index and crisis index ratings are amongst the highest in the world. The situation has deteriorated recently at a political level following the controversial campaign and outcome of the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The humanitarian situation in DRC remains fragmented, largely on account of localised conflicts and operations conducted by the Government and MONUSCO (the UN Stabilisation Mission in DRC) to counter the activities of the numerous armed groups in the east of the country. While there has been a gradual stabilisation in Equateur province in the west of the country and Congolese refugees have begun to return from the neighbouring Republic of the Congo, eastern DRC continues to give rise to widespread concern and has seen a clear deterioration in the situation in a number of areas since the start of 2012.
The first signs of major new population displacements were in South Kivu in January 2012 following military operations led by the Congolese army mainly against the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR).
Since April 2012 the rising tension between armed groups and the Congolese army has also affected North Kivu. The situation in the province has deteriorated significantly following the formation of a new armed group, M23, most of whose members are former members of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP).
Since the resurgence of tensions in North Kivu, Congolese armed forces (FARDC) from other regions have been redeployed and the vacuum they have left behind in other areas, e.g. South Kivu and Katanga, has allowed armed groups, principally Mai Mai militias, the opportunity to take back their positions.
The resurgence of a number of conflicts in the south of Orientale Province, in Ituri, has led to fears of a potential new humanitarian crisis in that region. Further north, in the Haut- and Bas-Uélé districts of Orientale Province, the situation still requires the presence of humanitarian workers even though the frequency of attacks attributed to the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has diminished. However, the redeployment to North Kivu of the 391st battalion trained by the United States to combat the LRA could give rise to a series of fresh outbreaks.