Democratic Republic of the Wenga / Congo DRC DRC Humanitarian Situation Report No. 10 © UNICEF © Reporting Period: October 2020 Highlights Situation in Numbers As of 12st October, and after more than 6 months at home, due to the 15,000,000 exceptional context of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), millions children in need of of primary and secondary school students went back to school in the humanitarian assistance Democratic Republic of Congo,). Unicef continues to support the Government of DRC in sensitizing parents for a massive return of (OCHA, Revised HRP children to school and the effective resumption of classes, while 2020*) respecting COVID-19 prevention measures. In South Kivu, security situation continues to be marked by the Hauts 25,600,000 Plateaux intercommunity crisis in Fizi, Mwenga and Uvira territories, people in need where child protection needs are particularly important. 150 Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC) and more than 400 (OCHA, Revised HRP 2020*) children associated to local militias have been registered in October, while 76 allegations of grave violations are under documentation. 5,500,000 UNICEF continue to provide Health and Child Protection services to IDPs (Revised HRP 2020*) affected population, despite limited logistics and security access to the zones. 17,143 60,894 people affected by humanitarian crises in Ituri and North-Kivu provinces have been provided with NFI life-saving emergency cases of cholera reported packages in through UNICEF’s Rapid Response (UniRR). since January (Ministry of Health) UNICEF’s Response and Funding Status 46% UNICEF Appeal 2020 11% US$ 318 million 56% 17% Funding Status (in US$) 32% Funds 13% received in 2020 Carry- 100% 30 M forwar d 34% 48.6M 23% Fundin 7% g gap $241.5 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% M *Source: OCHA, Revised Humanitarian Response Plan 2020, June 2020 1 Funding Overview and Partnerships UNICEF appeals for US$ 318M to sustain the provision of humanitarian services for women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). UNICEF expresses its sincere gratitude to all public and private donors for the contributions received to date. However, the 2020 HAC has a funding gap of 76%, with significant funding needs in nutrition, health, WASH, education, and communication for development. Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs During the reporting period, the violence and inter-community tensions persist in the Eastern provinces and continue to affect lives and wellbeing of the most vulnerable children living in Ituri, North and South Kivu, Maniema and Tanganyika. In Ituri province, non-state armed groups (ADF / NALU, FPIC, Zaire, Mai-Mai) operating, in the south of Irumu territory, caused around 75,726 new displaced people in the areas of Boga, Nyakunde, Rwampara and Komanda. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, and several needs have been identified, especially in health, nutrition, non-food items, protection and education. In Djugu territory, military operations between FARDC and CODECO / ALC from Ezekere led to lootings and burnt houses as well as population movements as around 3,420 households were forced to flee their homes. In North Kivu province, the security situation in Masisi and Walikale territories continues to deteriorate as one of the major non-state armed group in North Kivu stepped up their operations since July. The spread of this conflict resulted in displacements increase and multisectoral needs continue to be reported. In October, approximately 10.000 new displaced households were registered in Walikale territory, while the figures are not yet known for Rutshuru and Masisi territories. After a first intervention to respond to this crisis in Kalembe village in August, UNICEF rapid response mechanism achieved two other interventions in Masisi and Lubero territories. In Beni territory, ADF attacks continue to occur leading to further deterioration of the humanitarian situation, especially in Mutwanga Health Zone which remain monitored by the humanitarian watch. In South Kivu, security situation continues to be marked by the Hauts Plateaux intercommunity crisis in Fizi, Mwenga and Uvira territories. Due to security access to the zones and logistical constraints, and despite the increasing humanitarian needs in protection, education, nutrition and WASH, only a limited number of interventions have been provided, though UNICEF continues to provide Health and Child Protection services to affected population. Child protection needs are particularly high in this area.150 UASC and more than 400 children associated to local militias have been registered in October. 76 allegations of grave violations are under documentation. UNICEF, through local partners, provided psychosocial support to 2.735 children through mobile child friendly spaces. In Maniema province, the security situation improved in Salamabila territory after clashes that occurred between armed groups and FARDC in September. Nearly 1,245 displaced households returned to their place of origin in Kama, Kindu and around but have lost their essential items and nearly 2,200 IDPs remain in the displacement zone. The province experienced flooding that affected 3,000 people and led to the displacement of 2,565 people in Kailo. In Tanganyika province, the security situation improved and the population continues to return to their place of origin particularly in Kalemie (28,476 returnees) and in Nyunzu (18,035 returnees). In total, within the last 18 months, at least 284,000 persons returned to their place of origin, according to the Commission des Mouvements des Populations (October 2020). In Kasaï, interethnic conflict continued to impact the different territories and remains under watch of humanitarian actors. According to OCHA, around 18.000 persons were internally displaced in Kasai Oriental province in October and the humanitarian needs are important, especially in WASH, Education and NFIs and cholera cases have also been reported without any response. The Covid-19 put further pressure on already fragile social and health systems compounded to poor access to livelihoods and markets. Women and girls were particularly exposed to abuse and violence including sexual and gender- based violence affect. In Kasai, an average of 260 SGBV cases per month have been registered in the Kananga hospital, among which 20% cases are children and adolescents. The needs remain very important in terms of access to holistic assistance, particularly outside the main urban areas. 2 The country continues to witness several diseases outbreaks. In October, South Kivu remained the first province to report the highest number of suspected cases of cholera (5455) and the second highest number of deaths attributed to the same disease (36) since the beginning of the year 20201. Five health zones in South Kivu notified suspected cholera cases in September (Minova, Katana, Lemera, Fizi, and Uvira). This situation continues to assert itself in the month of October, although a decrease in the number of suspicious cases is recorded from week 40 to 43, going from 185 to 99 suspicious cases over this period. In Mbandaka, Equateur province, since the declaration of the 11th Ebola outbreak in June, 130 Ebola cases, of which 119 were confirmed cases and 11 probable cases as of October 31st. 55 deaths and 75 cured patients have been identified in thirteen health zones of the Province, bringing the lethality rate to 42,3%. Compared to September, 2 additional people have been affected by EVD, and 2 deaths and 6 cured patients have been identified. Outbreaks of measles continued to be reported in October. As of epidemiological week 43, 73,160 suspected measles cases, including 1,064 deaths (Case Fatality Rate: 1.45%), have been reported across the DRC. The provinces that reported the highest number of measles cases were: Kwilu 263 cases, Sankuru 216 cases, Kasai 112 cases, Sud- Ubangi 107 cases, North-Kivu 99 cases and Tshopo 84 cases. As of 31th October, 20202, the COVID-19 outbreak has affected 22 out of the 26 provinces in the DRC, with a total of 11,330 confirmed cases. Compared to September, 1 new province (Bas-Uele) and 671 additional people have been affected by Covid-19. Kinshasa continues to be the most affected province with 8,472 cases, followed by North Kivu with 1,104 cases and Kongo Central with 533 cases. Despite these challenges, UNICEF continues to respond to humanitarian needs across the country while ensuring the implementation of COVID-19 prevention measures3. The latest COVID-19 situation report can be found here link. Summary Analysis of Programme Response Nutrition The results of the nutritional surveys (SMART Method) conducted in September and October 2020 in the health zones of Ntandembelo and Yumbi (Mai Ndombe Province) showed a worrying nutritional situation with prevalence of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) of respectively 2,4% and 3,6% and a prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) of 14% and 14.4% respectively. These prevalences are above the emergency thresholds of 2% for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and 10% for global acute malnutrition (GAM). UNICEF maintained its support to the nutritional surveillance and early warning system (SNSAP) which showed slight decrease in the number of health zones on alert, from 77 during the second quarter 2020 to 63 during the third quarter, representing 12% health zones across the DRC. It may be explained by the reopening of borders between provinces, promoting trade and lower food prices, and by the launch of projects to ensure the treatment of acute malnutrition in the Kasai and Eastern provinces. Furthermore, the number of health zones in nutritional alert decreased by 3% compared to the same period in 2019. It should be noted that the Provinces of Equateur (13 Health Zones on 18), Maniema (7 HZ on 18), Kasai-Oriental (10 HZ on 19) and Sankuru (5 HZ on 27) are the most affected. During the reporting period, UNICEF supported the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in 69 health zones,4 which represent 39% of the priority health zones identified by the Nutrition cluster.