Democratic Republic of the Congo - Through its rapid response mechanism, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) is providing an initial SEK 1.6 million (USD 175,000) to IOM’s assistance programme for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s eastern province of North Kivu.

For decades, the DRC has been engulfed in wars between various militias and government armed forces. The conflict is largely concentrated in the east of the country and has led to a protracted humanitarian crisis caused by the displacement of approximately 1.7 million people. North Kivu province accounts for as much as 40 percent of the total number of IDPs (628,826 individuals).

IOM is currently coordinating assistance in 20 displacement sites in North Kivu, which shelter over 61,000 IDPs. The European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) and USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance are also funding IOM’s assistance programmes in eastern DRC.

The funding from Sweden will address substantial gaps in assistance on displacement sites, particularly in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and shelter sectors.

Over the next three months, IOM will rehabilitate basic WASH infrastructure in displacement sites located in the Birambizo, Rubaya and Mwesso areas. This will include the construction of latrines with hand wash stations, showers and rubbish pits. In addition, IOM will rehabilitate water systems in the selected displacement sites and provide IDP committees with tools to maintain them properly.

IOM also will provide some 4,000 households in Bonde, Bushani and Jardin Thécole de Ngeri, as well as the Rutshuru area, with shelter kits to ensure family shelters meet basic standards.

“Households in some of the displacement sites received tarpaulins in 2014,” said Boubacar Seybou, Head of IOM’s Office in Goma. “Today, most displaced people are living in inadequate shelters. SIDA’s emergency funding will allow us to address this and other glaring needs through the provision of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.” 

For further information please contact Boubacar Seybou at IOM Goma, Tel: + 243 812 043 425, Email: bseybou@iom.int