WHO: Stephen O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator WHAT: Mission to the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo WHEN: 16 to 21 July 2017 WHERE: Bangui, Bangassou, Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kalemie, Kananga UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien will travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 16 to 21 July 2017. The purpose of his missions is to see first-hand the devastating humanitarian consequences of the ongoing violence in the two countries. In the CAR, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) rose from 503,600 in May to 534,000 in June 2017. The country's deteriorating situation is compounded with serious underfunding, where the $399.5 million Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is only 30 per cent funded. In the DRC, where the $812.5 million HRP is only 23% funded, around 7.3 million people need some type of humanitarian assistance. The rapidly-expanding crisis in the DRC has now internally displaced 3.8 million people, creating the largest displacement crisis in all of Africa. During his consecutive visits to the two countries, Mr. O'Brien will meet communities affected by the conflict, national authorities, humanitarian partners and the diplomatic community. He will discuss ways to address issues of protection and humanitarian access, and advocate for increased funding to meet the needs of the affected people. Mr. O'Brien will brief the media on his mission to CAR on Tuesday, July 18 and on his mission to the DRC on Friday, 21 July 2017.
Distributed by APO on behalf of Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).