United Nations offers support and condolences following Kisangani air crash

10 Jul 2011

United Nations offers support and condolences following Kisangani air crash


Kinshasa, 10 July 2011
: The United Nations in the DRC expresses its solidarity with the Congolese Government and people after the crash on Friday 8 July of a passenger airliner at Kisangani airport. In this regard, the United Nations also wishes to express its condolences to the families of those killed and injured, and to offer within available resources all possible support to the Congolese authorities.

To this end, MONUSCO's Bangladeshi and Belgian contingents provided emergency medical aid to victims in Kisangani, and helped to evacuate the injured to hospitals around the town. Meanwhile, in Kinshasa, the World Health Organization has been working directly with the DRC Ministry of Health to get additional medical personnel and equipment to the affected area.

With the rollout of this assistance, the United Nations continues to dialogue with the Congolese authorities to determine how it can help further, if necessary. As the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in the DRC, Mr. Roger Meece, underlined on Saturday 9 July upon his return to Kinshasa after a working trip to Bandundu: 'The UN from its own very sad and recent experience of the crash of a MONUSCO plane understands all too well the logistical and psychological demands related to a disaster of this nature. In this context, the United Nations will continue to do all it can, with what it has, and as requested, to help the Congolese authorities deal with the immediate aftermath of this accident'.