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


Documents 1
Download Storyline
Download

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

Similar Stories

Gaza hospital attack - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza hospital attack - WHO ENG FRA

No evacuation order given before Kamal Adwan Hospital strike, says WHO
One of the last partially functional health centres in northern Gaza was reportedly hit again overnight into Friday by several strikes, leaving four health workers among the casualties and the dead, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Syria, Lebanon update – OCHA, WFP, World Vision International

2

1

2

Edited News , Press Conferences | OCHA

Syria, Lebanon update – OCHA, WFP, World Vision International ENG FRA

More than 280,000 people have been uprooted in northwest Syria in a matter of days following the sudden and massive offensive into Government-controlled areas led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is sanctioned by the Security Council as a terrorist group. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Georgia

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Georgia ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has called on the Georgian authorities to respect and protect the rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly following several nights of protests that were marred by violence, and dispersed using disproportionate, and in some cases unnecessary, force by the police in the capital, Tbilisi.

Escalation of hostilities in northwest Syria - OHCHR

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

Escalation of hostilities in northwest Syria - OHCHR ENG FRA

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said today he was extremely concerned about the recent escalation in hostilities in northwest Syria, which further compounds the suffering endured by millions of civilians.

Syria humanitarian update OHCHR - WHO - OCHA

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , WHO , OCHA

Syria humanitarian update OHCHR - WHO - OCHA ENG FRA

Syria escalation: Civilians face deadly attacks, health care in distress and aid access compromised

The ongoing escalation of violence in northwest Syria linked to the wider conflict in Gaza and Lebanon has left civilians dead and injured, hospitals “overwhelmed” and attacks on healthcare on the rise, the UN warned on Tuesday.

OCHA - Press Conference: launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview 2025

2

1

4

Press Conferences , Edited News | OCHA

OCHA - Press Conference: launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview 2025 ENG FRA

Multiple unending conflicts, climate change and a glaring disregard for long-established international humanitarian law are set to leave a staggering 305 million people in need of lifesaving assistance next year, the UN’s top aid official warned on Wednesday.


Embargo Wednesday, 4 December 2024 at 0600 CET / 0000 ET

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on plight of civilians in Ukraine as result of attacks on energy infrastructure

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on plight of civilians in Ukraine as result of attacks on energy infrastructure ENG FRA

The UN Rights Office on Friday warned about the plight of civilians in Ukraine after further attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure.

Submarine cable resilience – ITU - 29 November 2024

1

1

1

Edited News | ITU

Submarine cable resilience – ITU - 29 November 2024 ENG FRA

An international panel has been set up to protect undersea communications cables that are crucial for international trade and security, the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said on Friday. The creation of the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience comes amid an ongoing investigation into the severing of two fibre optic cables in the Baltic Sea, in less than 24 hours between 17 and 18 November.

ITU - Press Conference: Launch of Facts & Figures 2024

2

1

2

Press Conferences , Edited News | ITU

ITU - Press Conference: Launch of Facts & Figures 2024 ENG FRA

An estimated 5.5 billion people have access to the internet in 2024, an increase of 227 million people based on revised estimates for 2023, the UN specialized agency for telecommunications, ITU, said on Wednesday. 

 

UNAIDS - Press Conference: Launch of World AIDS Day Report 2024

2

1

2

Press Conferences , Edited News | UNAIDS

UNAIDS - Press Conference: Launch of World AIDS Day Report 2024 ENG FRA

Launch of World AIDS Day Report 2024—Take The Rights Path 

Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence urges Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to protect media freedom

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence urges Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to protect media freedom ENG FRA

A joint report issued this morning by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) paints a disturbing picture of the media landscape in the country since the Taliban takeover. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk says.

Lebanon ceasefire call OHCHR 26 November 2024

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

Lebanon ceasefire call OHCHR 26 November 2024 ENG FRA

UN human rights chief Volker Türk lent his weight to growing ceasefire calls in Lebanon on Tuesday, amid reports that the senior Israeli cabinet members were due to meet on a deal to end more than a year of conflict with Hezbollah militants, sparked by the war in Gaza