Democratic Republic of the Congo

High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said today that broad sectoral sanctions should urgently be re-evaluated in countries facing the COVID-19 pandemic.  Such measures could have a potentially debilitating impact on the health sector and human rights, she added. 

On 25 February 2020, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo enacted the amendments specified with underline in the entry below on its Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze and travel ban set out in paragraphs 1, 4 and 5 of Security Council resolution 2293 (2016), as renewed in resolution 2478 (2019), adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) says it will deploy 34 electoral advisers in Bangui and 16 prefectures to help the country as it prepares for presidential and legislative elections late this year and early 2021.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it’s seeking $107 million to support life-saving humanitarian operations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  There are acute food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation needs, but funding for humanitarian operations there remain historically low.

On 6 February 2020, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo added the following individual to the List of Individuals and Entities subject to the measures reaffirmed by paragraph 2 of resolution 2360 (2017):

On 20 December 2019, the Group of Experts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo transmitted its midterm report to the President of the Security Council (document S/2019/974).

The Government of Ethiopia, the United Nations and humanitarian partners today called for $1 billion to help 7 million of the 8.4 million people in the country identified as requiring humanitarian aid due to conflict, disease outbreaks, rain shortfalls and floods.

Heavy rain and flooding caused by a recent tropical disturbance have affected more than 100,000 people in Madagascar and resulted in at least 31 deaths.  The Government is leading the response with support from the United Nations and humanitarian partners.

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, has released $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help bolster the response to East Africa’s worst desert locust outbreak in decades, which is destroying crops in communities already facing food shortages.

The United Nations, jointly with the Government of Somalia and humanitarian partners, launched the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan in Mogadishu, calling for $1 billion to provide life-saving assistance and livelihood support for 3 million people, nearly half of whom are internally displaced.