Health situation in DRC - WHO
/
2:01
/
MP4
/
147.2 MB
Transcripts
Download

Edited News | WHO

Health situation in DRC - WHO

DR Congo: Escalation of conflict raises concerns over widespread infectious diseases, says WHO

At least 25 million people have been caught up in the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where a neglected health crisis is unfolding at alarming speed, the UN health agency, WHO, said on Friday.

For decades, conflict in the mineral-rich eastern DRC has triggered alarming levels of violence, mass displacement, widespread disease, gender-based violence and severe mental trauma said Dr Adelheid Marschang, Senior Emergency Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO).

The vast central African nation has now the “highest number of people in need of humanitarian aid in the entire world, with 25.4 million affected”, she told journalists in Geneva.

A staggering 7.4 million people have been displaced, including 2.8 million in North Kivu alone. The number of people forcibly uprooted has increased since the separatist M23 movement launched a major offensive in 2022, prompting national and regional military responses that have struggled to restrain the militia's advance. These mass displacements have overwhelmed water and sanitation systems and brought an additional burden to the population’s scarce resources, warned the WHO.

“About 40 per cent of the population, that is 40.8 million people, face serious food shortages, with 15.7 million facing severe food insecurity and as a result, a higher risk of malnutrition and infectious diseases,” said Dr Marschang. “If immediate action is not taken to address basic needs in DRC, over one million children will suffer from acute malnutrition,” she added.

Outbreaks of cholera, measles, meningitis, Mpox and plague, have all been reported, exacerbated by severe flooding and landslides.

Mpox remains a global health threat with 26 countries reporting cases to WHO this month. DRC has seen 20,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths from the virus since the start of 2023. Over 11,000 cases, including 443 deaths, have been reported so far this year, “again affecting mostly children”, Dr Marschang said.

Mpox spreads through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms and skin rash. Scientists raised the alarm last month about a dangerous new strain of Mpox in South Kivu and fear it will spread in overcrowded camps in and around Goma. Military activities around those camps make it difficult for health authorities to contain the virus if security is not granted, the UN health agency explained.

On Monday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Bintou Keita, told the UN Security Council that the DRC is facing one of the most severe and neglected humanitarian crises of our times.

Dr Marschang echoed that observation, explaining that the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2024 aims to assist 8.7 million people and requires $2.6 billion for all UN and partner agencies. “The underfunding is severe,” she stressed, as “16 per cent of the Humanitarian Response plan is currently funded. For WHO, we are looking for something like $30 million to address the situation until the end of the year.”

The deterioration of the security situation has accompanied the full withdrawal from South Kivu of the UN Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) in DRC, ending the first phase of disengagement following a request to close the mission from the Government in Kinshasa.

MONUSCO’s operations began winding down in January after two decades of operations, but its Head, Bintou Keita, told the UN Security Council on Monday there should not be a rush to further disengagement since this process has thrown up unexpected challenges. She explained the rebel activity from the M23 carries a “very real risk of provoking a wider regional conflict”. According to a UN expert group the militia is supported by Rwanda and has been responsible for unlawful killings, rapes and other apparent war crimes in the DRC since late 2022.

ends

Story: “Health situation in DRC – WHO” – 12 July 2024

Speaker:

  • Dr Adelheid Marschang, WHO Senior Emergency Officer

TRT: 02’01”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 12 July 2024 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Geneva Press briefing


SHOTLIST

  1. Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley.

  2. Wide shot of the podium with speakers at the press conference room.

  3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Adelheid Marschang, WHO Senior Emergency Officer: “The DRC now has the highest number of people in need of humanitarian aid in the entire world, with 25.4 million people affected.”

  4. Wide shot of the press conference room.

  5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Adelheid Marschang, WHO Senior Emergency Officer: “About 40 per cent of the population, that is 40.8 million people just to share the size of it, face serious food shortages, with 15.7 million facing severe food insecurity and as a result, a higher risk of malnutrition and infectious diseases directly related to that. If immediate action is not taken to address basic needs in DRC, over one million children will suffer from acute malnutrition.”

  6. Medium lateral shot of the press conference room with screens showing speaker.

  7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Adelheid Marschang, WHO Senior Emergency Officer: “People are facing outbreaks of cholera, measles, meningitis, Mpox and plague, all exacerbated by severe flooding and landslides affecting some parts of the country.”

  8. Medium shot of press conference room and control room.

  9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Adelheid Marschang, WHO Senior Emergency Officer: “The outbreak in the DRC shows no sign of slowing, with more than 11,000 cases that have been reported this year and 445 deaths. Again, children most affected.”

  10. Medium shot: speakers at the podium in the press conference room.

  11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Adelheid Marschang, WHO Senior Emergency Officer: “The underfunding is indeed severe: 16 per cent of the Humanitarian Response plan is currently approximately funded. For WHO, we are looking for something like 30 million (USD) to address the situation until the end of year.”

  12. Various close shots of journalists in the press room.

  13. Close shot of technicians in the control room


Audio Files 1
Download Health situation in DRC - WHO (Edited Story)
Download

Similar Stories

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

HRC 60 HC Volker Türk Global update speech ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

DRC: UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity ENG FRA

A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

Global air pollution update - WMO 04 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WMO

Global air pollution update - WMO 04 September 2025 ENG FRA

As billions of people continue to breathe polluted air that causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year, UN climate experts on Friday highlighted how damaging microscopic smoke particles from wildfires play their part, travelling half-way across the world.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence made the following comment on the on-going presidential election process in Cameroon at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Myanmar ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office released a new report on Myanmar, describing death, destruction and desperation which reflect atrocities committed in 2017. 

Afghanistan earthquake update OCHA - IFRC - UNHCR

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UNHCR

Afghanistan earthquake update OCHA - IFRC - UNHCR ENG FRA

Afghanistan: Humanitarians scramble to reach survivors of deadly quake; response at ‘breaking point’

In remote eastern Afghanistan, aid workers are racing to assist survivors of Sunday’s devastating earthquake as the death toll continues to climb, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

Gaza - Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA

Gaza - Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA ENG FRA

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, repeated his urgent call for a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday, amid increased military Israeli activity in the enclave’s largest city.

Gaza update - OCHA WHO 29 August 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , WHO

Gaza update - OCHA WHO 29 August 2025 ENG FRA

Amid reports of increased Israeli military operations across Gaza City on Friday, UN aid agencies repeated urgent warnings of ongoing famine and a likely rise in preventable disease, linked to the dire living conditions in the war-shattered enclave.

OHCHR-Ravina Shamdasani: increasing executions in Iran

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

OHCHR-Ravina Shamdasani: increasing executions in Iran ENG FRA

UN calls for Iran to halt executions and move towards ending the death penalty.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Killing of Journalists in Gaza

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Killing of Journalists in Gaza ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following comment on the killing of journalists in Gaza at the bi-weekly press briefing.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan on “rotation” practice by Egyptian Government

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan on “rotation” practice by Egyptian Government ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday called on Egyptian authorities to end the practice known as “rotation”, which allows Government critics to be held arbitrarily and for prolonged periods.