The Urban Coordination of Civil Protection in Beni officially received its new headquarters on Tuesday, December 2. Located behind the city's administrative building on Nyamwisi Boulevard, in the commune of Beu, Byahutu neighborhood, this modern building was financed to the tune of $47,847 by MONUSCO, as part of its Quick Impact Projects (QIPs).

Un appui stratégique pour renforcer les capacités locales

This investment aims to support the institutional and operational capacities of this public service responsible for civilian protection.

For the head of Civil Protection, Jean-Paul Kapitula, having an appropriate workspace had become essential: "We were working in premises that did not allow us to be effective: not all services were operational, overcrowding complicated our work, and it was impossible to install all our units in small cramped rooms. These conditions had a real impact on our ability to plan, to properly receive the population, and to produce quality work," he explains.

The mayor of Beni, Colonel Jacob Nyofondo, welcomes a structural advancement for public service: "We now have infrastructure suited to the service's requirements. By providing Civil Protection with an appropriate workspace, MONUSCO strengthens the city's capacity to respond effectively to the humanitarian, security, and environmental challenges facing communities."

The new building includes a large meeting room, offices for managers and instructors, a space dedicated to volunteers, a reception area, two external sanitary blocks, and complete lighting.

A call for equipment support

Despite this progress, the service still faces a lack of equipment. Jean-Paul Kapitula now calls for additional support: "We need furniture and equipment to intervene effectively during fires, floods, or accidents. The building being handed over to us today must be accompanied by the necessary equipment. Without equipment, we cannot always respond to emergencies, and the population has difficulty understanding this," he states.

An essential service for the community

Civil Protection is a state service responsible for preventing and managing natural and man-made disasters, community awareness-raising, organizing early warning systems, and coordinating disaster responses.

This support from MONUSCO is part of the implementation of its transition strategy. It also responds to recommendations made during the provincial workshop from May 7-9, 2024, which had advocated for the provision of a building to strengthen this essential public service.