Medair and OCHA Announce Major New Projects in Remote Territory of D.R. Congo

* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“Until now, there has been practically no humanitarian presence in Ango territory,” said Mr. Jean-Charles Dupin, OCHA Senior Humanitarian Officer and Head of Office in Province Orientale.  In March 2009, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) began a series of attacks in the Ango area of Bas-Uélé district which forced many inhabitants to flee from their homes. Although security has recently stabilised, and some people have returned home, approximately 25,000 IDPs remain dispersed among the host population of 116,000 people. Medair conducted a needs assessment of the region in September 2010 which revealed that many of the displaced had received no aid whatsoever, despite immense life-threatening needs.“Following a series of evaluations by various humanitarian actors, we noticed that there was a high level of vulnerability in this area,” said Mr. Dupin. “So we appealed to the Humanitarian Coordinator to allocate some special funding to this region.”Thus, in January 2011, as a result of newly allocated funding from the Humanitarian Coordinator, Medair will launch three vital projects: rehabilitating bridges, and providing both health services and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) to the vulnerable population in Ango territory.  To support these projects, Medair will open a base in Ango town, which will also host other NGOs working in Ango territory. Ango territory is very isolated due in part to its distance from other centres of population and the poor condition of roads and bridges leading to it. For this reason, Medair will construct or rehabilitate 15 bridges so that heavy trucks can deliver humanitarian aid from the major town of Isiro to Ango territory.“In order to conduct the humanitarian activities, it is absolutely necessary that the bridges are rehabilitated to enable the passage of humanitarian trucks,” said Mr. Dupin. “Otherwise, we will not get the job done.”The World Food Programme (WFP) has expressed interest in opening a base and providing aid in Ango territory if the bridges can be rehabilitated.“With this project, Medair will be opening the area to significant humanitarian aid, building bridges that will literally connect humanitarian actors with thousands of isolated people in desperate need of emergency assistance,” said Dr. Geoff Andrews, Medair Country Director. Medair’s health project will subsidise the cost of health care for IDPs and assist health centres with the provision of medication, medical supplies, and equipment. The health team will also build the capacity of local health professionals in order to improve the quality of care.Medair’s WASH team will construct wells at six health centres and build latrines, showers, and waste pits. The team will also provide hygiene education and help the local population construct household latrines. “We are supporting the Ango region because of the high vulnerability of the population,” said Dr. Andrews. “Our projects will be centered on the IDPs, as they are the ones who are mostly affected in this crisis.”For media, please contact:Switzerland (Medair HQ):  Janneke de Kruijf, Media Officer   Tel. +41.78.6353095      Email: janneke.dekruijf(at)medair.org  Ango is located to the northwest of Isiro town, close to the borders of Southern Sudan and the Central African Republic. Medair’s new projects in Ango territory are supported with funding from the Multi-Donor Pooled Fund and by private donations. As one of the longest serving NGOs in the region, Medair has provided health services in northeastern DRC since 1997. Today, Medair supports more than 200 health clinics in the vast jungle regions of the northeast, bringing relief to more than one million Congolese people each year.  Medair is also working in the region to improve access to WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) and reduce the risk of water-related illnesses.   This media release was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation. [1] COOPI (Cooperazione Internazionale), CESVI (Cooperazione e Sviluppo (Cooperation and Development)), OXFAM Quebec, and APEC (Association pour la Protection de l'Enfant au Congo)