Aid at Risk in Eastern Congo

A disturbing analysis from the United Nations highlights the intense insecurity throughout Congo’s North Kivu province. AFP recently reported findings from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, which documented 7 attacks on relief convoys in North Kivu between February 14 and 24. Citing these attacks, OCHA spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs noted, "This increase in insecurity could force humanitarian agencies to reduce their operation or limit them…Should this happen, it could have disastrous consequences for the population." Much uncertainty remains in eastern Congo, despite the end of the joint Congolese-Rwandan military operation. And, as Byrs emphasized, any cessation of aid in the region would be disastrous for the million displaced people in the region.