D.R. Congo

The huge size of the country and the extent of the needs explain the slow improvement in the standard of living amongst the population. Although the country is officially now at peace, malnutrition, lack of health care and food insecurity remains the norm. ACF is active in 3 provinces out of 11.
Program Information
Directing HQ:
Action Against Hunger - USALaunch Date:
January 1996World Region:
AfricaLocation(s):
Kinshasa, Lumumbashi, Malenba, Nkulu, Mbandaka, Boende, Uvira, Bukavu, Shabundu, Baraka, Moba Expatriates:
40Local Staff:
600Beneficiaries:
700,000peopleFunding:
ECHO, OFDA, DFID, EU, WFP, UNICEF, FAO, OCHAHumanitarian Context
- In 2000, after 36 years of the Mobutu regime, four years of war and the absence of international aid, the Democratic Republic of Congo was in a state of collapse.
- The conflict has directly or indirectly caused the death of 3.3 million people, mainly due to malnutrition, lack of medicines or incidents occurring during population displacements.
- The existing public services (schools, hospitals, social services, etc.) either do not work or are incapable of responding to the demands of the population.
- In the so-called 'rebel zone' (to the east of the River Congo), confrontations between rebel groups (in which the Rwandan and Ugandan governments are implicated) are common. Extortion and the systematic violation of human rights are the direct consequence of this war against the civilians of D.R. Congo, given the powerlessness of the United Nations mission deployed in the area (MONUC).
- The recent discovery of oilfields near the Ugandan border could worsen the security situation in coming months
Area(s) of Work
Nutrition:
- Supplementary feeding centres
- Therapeutic feeding centres
Food Security:
- Distribution of seeds and tools
- Rehabilitation of irrigation systems
- Demonstration agricultural plots
- Freshwater fishing
- Cultivation of yucca and soya
- Support to agricultural and fishing cooperatives
Water & Sanitation:
- Provision of drinking water in health centres
- Community water committees
- Emergency response training
Health:
- Health centres
- Epidemiological monitoring (cholera and measles outbreaks)











