UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS BEGINS FOUR-DAY VISIT TO DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS BEGINS FOUR-DAY VISIT

TO DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

NEW YORK, 12 November (OCHA) -- The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, arrived this morning in Kinshasa at the start of a four-day visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  In meetings with senior government officials, he stressed that the Government should do more to reduce insecurity, since it results in limited access to people in need.  He also discussed the need to continue to work on protection of civilians, stopping human rights violations, and ending impunity.  He also discussed with the Government the regulation of non-governmental organizations and the need for a simple and transparent system for doing so.

Later today, he will meet with national and international non-governmental organizations, donors, and the diplomatic community.

The Under-Secretary-General promised to provide as much humanitarian support to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as possible, and pledged to advocate for support to the consolidated appeal for the country.

Tomorrow, the Under-Secretary-General will travel to the eastern part of the country to visit field locations, including Kindu, Bukavu, Goma, Bunia and Baraka.  Access to people in need in Kindu and Baraka has recently improved, and the Under-Secretary-General will investigate how that translates into better conditions for the civilian population.

While Uganda may be the biggest forgotten and neglected humanitarian crisis in the world, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world, with 3.5 million people displaced.

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHA NY, 917 367 5126, Mobile 917 892 1679; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, 41 22  917 26 53.  Mobile 41 (O) 79 473 45 70.

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