United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Nina Yacoubian
17 April 2008
At a press conference in Kinshasa on 16 April 2008, British Ambassador to the DRC Nick Kay announced the contribution of US$60 million from the UK to the Pooled Humanitarian Fund of the DRC, for the year 2008.
Also in attendance was the Humanitarian Coordinator of the Pooled Fund Mr. Ross Mountain, the head of the British Department for International Development (DFID) in the DRC Mr. Phil Marker, and British delegation head of the Multiparty Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes, Mr. Eric Joyce. The British delegation, which comprises of three members of parliament, are visiting the DRC from 14-19 April 2008.
The Pooled Fund brings "a lot to the lives of millions of people in the DRC. We are delighted to work with the United Nations and other financial backers to help to save human lives, and to reduce human suffering," said Ambassador Kay.
DFID head in the DRC Mr. Marker indicated that it's the third consecutive year of United Kingdom support to the Pooled Fund.
"Our contribution to the Pooled Fund represents an important part of our humanitarian aid, as well as our aid of $140 million within the framework of our development programme here in the DRC," he said.
According to Mr. Marker, the Pooled Fund plays a vital role by allowing the installation of an effective and coherent approach, directed towards the most urgent fields of intervention.
"Since 2007, more than 2.6 million Congolese profited from humanitarian aid, more than 600 classrooms were rehabilitated, more than 12,000 victims of sexual violence were assisted and more than 3.7 million children were vaccinated against measles," he explained.
Ross Mountain, the Humanitarian Coordinator of the Pooled Fund, who is also Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC, indicated the importance of the Pooled Fund mechanism, which already assisted some 20 million Congolese in 2007.
He deplored the death of many Congolese to treatable illnesses, a situation he described as "unacceptable."
"According to a report published by the International Rescue Committee, 1,500 Congolese die each day, that is to say 45,000 people per month, for reasons which can be avoided. Nearly half of these victims are children under five years old, and it's an Asian tsunami every 4 months," Mr. Mountain added.
"We are always seeking to see how we can channel the aid more effectively and quickly so that the greatest number of vulnerable Congolese can benefit from it, especially displaced persons, refugees and victims of sexual violence," he concluded.
Eric Joyce, British delegation head of the Multiparty Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes, explained that the objective of their visit to Goma was to evaluate the progress made in the implementation of the Kivu's Acts of Engagement.
In Goma, the delegation met several actors of the peace process, they spoke to humanitarian groups and they also visited Mugunga displaced persons camp.
"Sadly, as we were leaving Goma there was a serious air accident, which illustrates the problems that still exist in infrastructure across the DRC," Mr. Joyce said
Furthermore, Mr. Joyce expressed his concern on the issue of children associated with armed forces and groups, saying that "the Goma process must work on the demobilisation of these children."
On a more positive note, Mr. Joyce expressed his satisfaction that the Congolese government started to put the focus on holding accountable those who commit sexual violence to women.
In Kinshasa, the delegation will meet Congolese authorities and members of Parliament.
"We think it's quite important now that the Congolese parliament itself starts to develop its own capacity, and its members starts to develop their abilities as parliamentarians, as they move well into the second year," Mr. Joyce explained.
The Multiparty Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes, founded in 1998, is the most important parliamentary group of the British Parliament. It comprises of more than 200 members of Parliament, and is a forum for discussion and analysis of the issues concerning the population of the Great Lakes region.
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