DRC: Meeting on international mobilisation in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Great Lakes region
An international conference is underway in Paris today, seeking to refocus global attention on the escalating humanitarian emergency in Africa’s Great Lakes region, particularly eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The gathering, co-chaired by Togo, brings together representatives from about 50 nations amid concerns that international solidarity is waning as the world faces multiple concurrent crises. The event aims to remobilize donors and address a severe funding shortfall.
France’s ambassador to the DRC, Rémy Maréchaux, highlighted the urgent need for the summit, pointing to a “global humanitarian fatigue.”
He cited the recent closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in the DRC as part of a wider, worrying trend of declining aid.
UN agencies and humanitarian organizations are using the platform to detail the dire realities for displaced populations facing hunger and a lack of healthcare.
The later sessions of the conference will focus on safeguarding humanitarian personnel and ensuring respect for international humanitarian law, with a emphasis on securing safe access for NGOs.
By uniting policymakers, donors, and field workers, the Paris initiative strives to return the forgotten plight of millions in the Great Lakes to the forefront of the global humanitarian agenda.
Jean-Robert TCHANDY
