from JEAN KASSONGO in Kinshasa, DRC
DRC Bureau
KINSHASA, (CAJ News) – NON-governmental organisations are concerned at abrupt funding cuts changing the humanitarian response landscape in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cuts from the United States could represent up to a 70 percent reduction, over time, in humanitarian response funding compared with 2024 against a backdrop of global reductions in foreign assistance.
This is according to the International NGO Forum.
Violent confrontations in North and South Kivu in late January, compounded by ongoing violence in Ituri and Mai Ndombe provinces, have left thousands dead and millions displaced.
There are 21 disease surveillance alerts and active outbreaks of measles, monkeypox, cholera and more.
Some 25,6 million people face acute food insecurity, over 4,5 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition and sexual exploitation and violence are on the rise.
National and local partners are bearing disproportionate risks as these funding cuts not only immediately affect their continued viability, undermining years of work towards more equitable partnerships and allocation of resources, but also cause outrage amongst affected communities to whom aid has been promised and not delivered.
“National and local NGOs were not prepared for these sudden and unexpected cuts,” said De-Joseph Kakisingi, Director of the national NGO, SAD.
“Several have been left with debts that they can’t pay as they had pre-financed activities that they haven’t received reimbursement for. It is possible that several organisations will have to close their doors as a result.”
Women-led and women’s rights organisations are acutely affected by these cuts.
Sandrine Lusamba, National Coordinator of the Solidarité Féminine pour la Paix et le Développement (SOFEPADI) expressed concern.
She said as funding had been reduced and cut, peace-building and social cohesion programs had been slashed, which, against a backdrop of continued insecurity, jeopardized years of programming in favor of women’s resilience initiatives and enhanced accountability.
“Furthermore, many women benefiting from small and medium enterprise training in Goma have been left without sources of revenue, forcing them to resort to negative coping mechanisms and in some instances, to return to insecure areas,” Lusamba said.
– CAJ News