Mbandaka, 15 February 2012 – The humanitarian community in the Equateur province launched the 2012 Humanitarian Action Plan of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday, 15 February in Mbandaka. The event, which is an annual fundraising activity launched by the United Nations Organization, covers the country's humanitarian needs. In order to implement this year's plan, some $718 million will have to be mobilized to meet the country's emergency response needs.

This appeal process occurs in a special context for Equateur, a province, which is located in the northwest of the DRC, bordering the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. The province is due to soon witness the return of huge numbers of refugees from the Republic of Congo, beginning next April. Furthermore, the Equateur province is just emerging from a serious health crisis marked by a cholera epidemic which affected more than 3000 persons and killed at least 163 in 2011. The province was also the scene of a series of intercommunity conflicts over land access, fishing areas and traditional power, which resulted in dozens of victims.

During the presentation of the 2012 Humanitarian Action Plan, the representative of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Equateur province, Florent Méhaule, highlighted the four strategic objectives of intervention, namely increased protection of the civilian population, reduction of mortality and morbidity rates, improved living conditions for victims of the crisis and the restoration of the livelihoods of affected communities.

The Provincial Minister for Cooperation with United Nations Agencies, Bruno Bindaba, urged the humanitarian community and donors to give priority to Equateur which remains a vulnerable province.

As a reminder, the 2012 Humanitarian Action Plan is the common strategy of humanitarian organizations, especially United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations, for a coordinated response to the many humanitarian needs of the population.