UN chief welcomes DR Congo President’s promise to stand down

New York, Aug 11 (IBNS): The United Nations Secretary-General has commended the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Joseph Kabila’s decision on Thursday, not to stand in elections scheduled to take place on 23 December.

DR Congo: UN envoy calls for ‘a level playing field’ in key upcoming elections

New York, July 27 (IBNS): Major progress has been made on preparations for the upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but “conditions for a level playing field are not yet in place”, said the most senior United Nations official based in the country.

Villages ‘reduced to ash’ amid ‘barbaric violence’ in DR Congo, reports UN refugee agency

New York, July 14 (IBNS): Humanitarian needs are enormous in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has reported accounts of “barbaric violence”.

WHO reports ‘very strong progress’ in battling DR Congo Ebola outbreak

New York, June 9 (IBNS): One month after the start of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), United Nations health experts on Friday reported “very strong progress” in the response to the disease.

Central Africa Republic: Violence drives thousands of refugees into neighbouring DR Congo, says UN agency

New York, May 19 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency is calling for urgent support for thousands of people arriving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after fleeing conflict in south-eastern Central African Republic (CAR).

DR Congo Ebola outbreak not yet a global ‘health emergency’, but strong response to disease vital – UN health experts

New York, May 19 (IBNS): An emergency meeting of United Nations health experts said on Friday that the Ebola outbreak in north-west Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – where cases of the deadly disease have been confirmed in an urban area ­– does not yet meet the criteria to be deemed a “public health emergency of international concern.”  

Donors pledge over $500 million to tackle growing needs in DR Congo; UN warns humanitarian crisis cannot be ignored

New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): The first-ever international conference to help the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) opened at the United Nations Office at Geneva on Friday amid dire warnings of a growing humanitarian crisis in the vast African country.

UNESCO condemns killing of rangers protecting mountain gorillas at renowned DR Congo wildlife park

New York, Apr 12 (IBNS): The lives of six guards and their driver were taken Monday during an attack on the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation in the Virunga Park, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – drawing condemnation from the UN agency.   

Security Council renews UN mission in DR Congo

New York, Mar 28 (JEN): The Security Council on Tuesday extended for one year the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), making it a priority for the operation to protect civilians and provide support for implementation of a 31 December 2016 agreement on holding elections.

Is safety and a small plot of land too much for DR Congo’s beleaguered people to hope for? UN aid chief asks

New York, Mar 20 (JEN): The humanitarian crisis and the resulting suffering will only worsen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) if persistent violence is not brought under control and there is no political transition, the top United Nations relief official warned on Monday.

UN refugee agency scaling up support as ‘horrific’ violence in DR Congo drives thousands into Uganda

New York, Mar 17 (JEN): In the span of just three days – between 10 and 13 March – more than 4,000 people, mostly terrified women and children, have crossed into Uganda from crisis-gripped eastern provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency said Friday.

UN aid chief urges international support to tackle ‘spiralling humanitarian needs’ in DR Congo

New York, Mar 15 (JEN): As fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has forced 4.5 million people to flee their homes over the past year and left more than 13 million in need of humanitarian assistance, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator has called on the international community to urgently address the crisis.

DR Congo: UN warns of spike in displacement amid funding shortfall

New York, Mar 10 (JEN): The United Nations migration agency is hoping that the upcoming donor pledging conference for the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will generate more financial support to cope with a spike in the number of people displaced by violence.

Despite unrest, DR Congo must press ahead with preparations for credible elections, says UN envoy

New York, Mar 9 (JEN): Highlighting political tensions and the disintegrating security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Leila Zerrougui, briefing the Security Council for the first time as head of the UN stabilization mission in the contry, said significant progress is being made on preparations for upcoming polls.

DR Congo: Flaring tensions could ‘plunge Kasai region into new violence,’ UN warns

New York, Mar 7 (JEN): The United Nations refugee agency warned Tuesday that ongoing instability in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) poses a grave risk to civilian safety, including for several hundred refugees recently returned there from Angola.