Lack of funds hurting DR Congo conflict victims – UN

The UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) says 4.5 million​ people for have fled their homes in the Democratic republic of Congo will be forced to sleep in churches, schools or out in the open because of insufficient funding.

For the past two decades, DR Congo has been home to high levels of violence by armed groups, which has left more than 5.6 million internally displaced people – the second highest after Syria. However, less than 20% of funding budgeted to help those in crisis in the country has been secured.

Since April, more than 160,000 people have been displaced following clashes between DR Congo’s army and armed groups.

The UNHCR says it does not have enough money to respond to what they describe as a rising humanitarian crisis in the country.

Adding that while attention is focused on crises in Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine – other emergencies, many of them in Africa, are not gaining the same levels of attention, support, and resources.

The refugee agency warns that underfunded crises in the world are being made worse by a mix of conflict, climate shocks, the impact of the pandemic and the current war in Ukraine that has driven up the global price of food and fuel.

…………………………………………………………