$23 MILLION APPEAL LAUNCHED TO MEET EMERGENCY REHABILITATION NEEDS OF REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Press Release
AFR/45
IHA/653
$23 MILLION APPEAL LAUNCHED TO MEET EMERGENCY REHABILITATION NEEDS OF REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
19980311 NEW YORK, 11 March (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The United Nations today launched a Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for the Republic of the Congo, seeking $23 million to assist the country in recovering from a four-month civil war that displaced some 650,000 people out of a total population of 3 million. The Appeal is an addendum to the United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Countries of the Great Lakes and Central Africa, which was launched on 27 February.The current Appeal requests funding for immediate humanitarian assistance, as well as for urgent rehabilitation projects to help the population return to a state of normalcy. During the civil war of 1997, entire sections of the capital, Brazzaville, were completely destroyed. Infrastructural assistance is thus urgently needed to restore vital social services and to support economic activities. In the early stages of reconstruction, direct support will also be provided to the internally displaced, refugees and locally affected people, with particular emphasis on children in difficult circumstances and women.
In addition, the Appeal is designed to promote the consolidation of peace and to assist victims of the conflict in moving from dependency on relief assistance to pre-war levels of self-sufficiency. Priority interventions will include emergency rehabilitation of health centres, schools and private houses; child vaccination and preventive health programmes; assistance to those traumatized by the civil war, particularly women and children; support for the reconciliation efforts, peace education and human rights programmes; and strengthening of the local administration, including training of civil servants and the rehabilitation of offices.
The Appeal also promotes efforts to revitalize the agricultural economy, enhance food security, improve access to clean water and adequate shelter, and ensure reasonable health services for all people in need.
The international community is called upon to respond generously to these initiatives to alleviate the suffering of the Congolese people and help the country in its recovery process.
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