2017 - 2019

Humanitarian
Action for
UNICEF/DRC/Patrick Rose/2017

Children

Democratic Republic of the Congo Total people in need:

8.5 million1
Total children (<18) in need:
For more than two decades, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been plagued
by multiple, complex conflicts with grave humanitarian consequences. In light of the upsurge
5.1 million
of intercommunal conflicts in the greater Kasai as well as Tanganyika regions in early 2017, Total people to be reached in 2017:
more than 3.8 million people are currently displaced internally throughout the country - the 4.4 million
highest number for any single country in all of Africa. In addition, the influx of South Sudanese Total children to be reached in 2017:
has increased the refugee caseload in DRC now amounting to more than 460,000 refugees. 2.6 million
Some 8.5 million people are estimated to be in urgent need of humanitarian assistance,
including 5.1 million children. Throughout DRC, an estimated two million children are 2017 programme targets2
expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with a potential impact on child
Nutrition
morbidity and mortality rates in 2017. Epidemics outbreaks continue to threaten childrens
310,609 children under 5 suffering from
survival and health. Cholera remains a constant threat, with more than 20,000 cases and
SAM treated
case fatality of 1.9% already reported this year. Other health epidemics such as Measles,
Polio and Ebola outbreaks are also considerable challenges for populations throughout the
Health
country. As more than 1.4 million people are displaced in the 5 most affected by the Kasai
1.9 million children immunized against
conflict, the basic rights of more than 7 million children are at risk. All six grave violations
measles
against children are ongoing in the Kasa, including forced recruitment of children, regular
300,000 people affected by conflict and
reports on cases of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as attacks on Health Centres
disease outbreaks accessing primary
and schools depriving more than 700,000 students from access to education. Throughout
health care
the country, natural disasters such as flooding in the west, and recently landslide in the east
continue to threaten children and their families.
WASH
Humanitarian strategy Results as of August 2017 1.7 million persons at risk of cholera
In 2017, UNICEF is providing large-scale, As of 31 August 2017, UNICEF had provided with WASH package
rapid, multi-sectoral assistance in nutrition, received US$ 35.1 million against the US$ 1.3 million conflict and natural disaster-
water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), 165,067,070 million appeal (21% funded).3 affected persons accessing WASH
health and non-food items (NFIs), education Despite a significant gap in available 128,800 SAM children and host family
and child protection to affected populations. funding, UNICEF has reached more than receiving WASH assistance
Rapid Need Assessments and response 1,000,000 people in need of emergency
capacity for the Rapid Response to assistance as of August 2017, including Child protection
Movement of Population (RRMP) more than 215,000 persons in Kasai only. 3,700 children formerly associated with
mechanism will be pre-positioned and More than 150,000 children with SAM were armed forces/groups released and
expanded to the Kasai region. UNICEF will admitted for treatment. UNICEF played a provided with temporary assistance
mobilise additional resources to scale up its critical role in the response to and 7,000 survivors of sexual violence
current community based response in the coordination of the cholera outbreak, provided with a comprehensive response
Greater Kasai region. Community-based supporting close to 355,000 people with 9,600 of separated and unaccompanied
treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) WASH packages in cholera-affected areas. children identified and reunited with their
will reach more than 310,000 children. As of August 2017, UNICEF vaccinated families
Multipurpose cash transfer programming will more than 360,000 children against
target more than 360,000 people, focusing measles. With regards to the Ebola Education
on displaced and emergency-affected response, UNICEF played active roles in 359,900 girls and boys aged 5 to 11 years
children, with a total of 80% of the response communication and social mobilization, affected by conflict or natural disasters
being planned in the Greater Kasai. WASH and logistics, and health care. The received access to quality education and
Emergency health and WASH supplies will RRMP assisted more than 600,000 people psychosocial activities
be pre-positioned at the provincial level to in education, health, WASH, NFI and
respond to disease outbreaks, such as emergency shelter as well as 200,000 NFI/shelter
cholera and measles and UNICEF will persons through the Alternative Responses 900,000 internally displaced persons
support approaches for the prevention of for Communities in Crisis cash transfer benefited from NFI/shelter assistance
gender-based violence prevention, including programme in the Kasais, enabling affected
referral mechanisms for care. UNICEF leads population to recover their livelihoods. A RRMP
education, WASH, nutrition, and NFI/shelter total of 75,000 children affected by conflict 1.7 million internally displaced persons
clusters at national and provincial levels, as or natural disasters given access to quality benefited from multi-sectoral assistance
well as the child protection working group. education and psychosocial activities.
UNICEF also coordinates the cash working UNICEF further assisted 1,524 children Multipurpose cash transfer
group as well as multi-sector humanitarian exiting armed forces and groups and 366,450 persons received multipurpose
response, primarily through the RRMP. reached more than 56,000 displaced and cash assistance
refugee children with psychosocial support.
 2017 - 2019

UNICEF Cluster 2017 Cluster

UNICEF 2017
Results as of Revised Results as of
revised Targets
Aug. 2017 Targets Aug. 2017
NUTRITION
# of children 6-59 months with Severe Acute Malnutrition
310,609* 151,617 388,261 151,617
(SAM) admitted for therapeutic care
HEALTH
# of children (6 months-14 years) in humanitarian
1,902,180* 362,854
situations vaccinated against measles
# of people affected by conflict and disease outbreaks
300,000 156,160
having received access to primary health care
WATER, SANITATION & HYGIENE
# of natural disaster and conflict-affected people with
1,284,768* 258,821 2,975,411 682,220
access to water, hygiene and sanitation basic services
# of persons in cholera-prone zones benefitting from
1,665,186* 354,794 4,162,964 1,418,889
WASH cholera-response packages
# of SAM-affected care/mother and children who receive
128,862 7,377 91,698 18,729
hygiene kits with key hygiene message
CHILD PROTECTION
# of children formerly associated with armed forces/groups
3,600 1,524 3,700 1,549
released and provided with temporary assistance
# of separated and unaccompanied children identified and
9,600 1,257 1,200 3,514
reunited with their families
# of displaced, refugee and returnee children provided with
safe access to community spaces for socialization, play 70,000 56,243 50,000 66,000
and learning
# of identified survivors of sexual violence provided with a
7,000* 3,414 NA NA
comprehensive response
EDUCATION
# of girls & boys (5-11 years) affected by conflict or
natural disasters given access to quality education and 359,960* 132,158 500,000 186,726
psychosocial activities
# of class rooms set up or rehabilitated 636 45 1,515 157
# of teachers trained on learner-centered methodologies,
peace education, conflict/disaster risk reduction (C/DRR), 6,545 1,155 9,090 3,765
and Psychosocial support
NFI/SHELTER
# of people accessing essential household items, and
900,500 230,295 1,678,683 472,403
shelter materials
MULTIPURPOSE CASH BASED ASSISTANCE

# of people assisted with an unconditional cash grant 366,450 200,540 300,000 245,035
* In light of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, especially due to the Kasai conflict, 2017 targets have been revised upwards. Kindly refer to the
narrative for a more detailed explanation.

Funding requirements

In line with the countrys inter-agency 20172019 HRP, and the Flash Appeal Kasai4, UNICEF is increasing the funding needs from
US$119 million to US$165,067,070 to support children and families in need of humanitarian assistance in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo. With a multi-year (20172019) Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) costed at US$ 2.3 billion, the current political turmoil
towards chronic humanitarian crises has had a negative impact on funding levels despite the ongoing urgent needs for humanitarian
assistance across DRC. Without continued strong support for this protracted humanitarian emergency, UNICEF and partners will be
unable to continue to support vulnerable populations.
 www.unicef.org/appeals/drc

Original 2017 2017 revised Funds Funding Gap

Sector requirements requirements available
(US$) (US$)5 (31 Aug 2017) US $ %
Nutrition6, 7 37,200,000 41,255,522 5,988,889 35,266,633 85%
Health8 5,000,000 8,514,710 567,210 7,947,500 93%
Water, sanitation and hygiene 16,550,000 20,805,746 2,198,055 18,607,691 89%
Child protection9 4,375,000 8,657,114 1,938,748 6,718,366 78%
Education10 6,000,000 9,252,718 1,186,884 8,065,834 87%
NFI / Shelter 500,000 5,846,000 355,581 5,490,419 94%
Rapid Response to Population Movement
30,000,000 43,745,160 16,332,961 27,412,199 63%
(WASH, NFI/shelter, education, health)11
Multipurpose cash transfer12 18,000,000 21,185,784 5,112,075 16,073,709 76%
Cross sector /sector coordination13 1,500,000 5,804,315 1,452,878 4,351,437 75%
Total 119,125,000 165,067,070 35,133,282 129,933,787 79%

1
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Humanitarian Dashboard First Semester 2017
2
UNICEF targets include targeted beneficiary for Ebola & the Greater Kasai crisis response plans, updated in August 2017.
3
Available funds included funding received against the current appeal of US$40 million and US$14.5 million carried forward from the previous year.
4
Although the Democratic Republic of the Congo HRP is a multi-year document, it has been established with a strategy, cluster needs assessment, targets
and funding requirements for one year. This Humanitarian Action for Children appeal is accordingly aligned in duration.
5
Funding requirements have been adjusted based on the Kasai crisis and Ebola response plan.
6
The requirement takes into account the costs of supplies and technical support for children affected by SAM; SAM programme management will be made
by international non-governmental organizations funded directly by donors.
7
UNICEF established a RRMP mechanism for Kasai including health, nutrition, WASH and NFI.
8
Health costs are reduced from 2016 following a review of the minimum intervention package, testing of some cash approaches and using the RRMP
mechanism to reach more people and saving on transaction costs (e.g. with one partnership agreement covering multiple sectors).
9
UNICEF decided to focus its resources and capacity on key issues where UNICEF has an added value in the Democratic Republic of the Congo such as
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; children associated with armed forces and armed groups; sexual and gender-based violence and socio-
economic reintegration. In addition, the caseload of unaccompanied and separated children has drastically increased due to Kasai crisis as DDR
programme has not be approved by the government in the Greater Kasai and children enrolled with armed group are considered as unaccompanied and
separated children.
10
Increased needs in Greater Kasai have been reported in education sector.
11
The RRMP was initially only implemented in Eastern Congo (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika, Haut Katanga). The increased budget for the
RRMP is linked to the cost of extending the RRMP project to the Kasai.
12
In 2016, UNICEF developed an assessment tool to determine the minimum basket expenditure for its cash intervention. In addition, UNICEF will use the
RRMP mechanism to reach part of its targeted population. Going at scale has demonstrated a drastic decrease in the cost of transfer ratio.
13
Includes logistic and IT specific requirements for ebola response for a total of US$734,540 in addition to additional costs estimated for the scale up of
Kasai response, including the setup of one new field office in Kasai Province and the upgrading of current field office of Kananga (Kasai Central province)
and Mbuji-Mayi (Kasai Oriental).

Who to contact for further
information:
Tajudeen Oyewale
Representative a.i.- DRC
Tel: +243-818 840 068
Email: toyewale@unicef.org
Grant Leaity
Deputy Director, Office of
Emergency Programmes (EMOPS)
Tel: +1 212 326 7150
Email: gleaity@unicef.org
Sanjay Wijesekera
Director a.i., Public Partnership
Division (PPD)
Tel: +1 212 326 7308
Email: swijesekera@unicef.org