News & Analysis: DRC
“Under the 18th replenishment of IDA, which ended in June, the World Bank has more than doubled its support in fragile and conflict-affected situations over three years, from $10.2 billion to $23 billion. Thanks to this, over 38 million people have accessed essential health services, more than 15 million children have been immunized, and over 17 million people have benefitted from social safety net programs.”
“New reported cases of COVID-19 began steadily increasing in Democratic Republic of Congo in May, peaking in late June. More recent trends suggest that incidence may be decreasing, but trends should be interpreted with caution given the low tests per confirmed case ratio.”
“The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is running out of funding for its COVID-19 Response Mechanism, and is seeking an additional $5 billion meant to help countries continue their response against COVID-19.”
“President Félix Tshisekedi has lifted the state of emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a phased reopening of the country following a slowdown of coronavirus infections spread and fatalities. The countrywide state of emergency was declared on March 24 as well as the shutting down of national borders.”
“Congo’s deputy health minister has accused cabinet members of receiving kickbacks on government contracts for the coronavirus response while health workers went unpaid for months.”
“Health workers battling the coronavirus pandemic in DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa said Monday they are on ‘unlimited strike’ until they get paid. The DR Congo health workers in Kinshasa, where nearly 90 percent of the vast central African country’s infections have been recorded, said they hadn’t been paid for three months.”
“In Africa, it was hoped that movement restrictions and fear of infection might halt fighting, creating space for dialogue in even the most intractable conflicts. Yet… tracking activity over the past 10 weeks, ACLED found that conflict rates held steady across the continent, but patterns of violence have shifted as armed groups and governments take advantage of the pandemic to make moves on political priorities.”
“Even outside of a pandemic situation, health workers face tough conditions in their jobs. But the toll this can take on their mental health is rarely discussed, and regular or immediate support is, in many cases, still lacking.”
“The DRC has received more than 28,000 units of expendable materials for labs and over 8,000 individual protection means. Djibouti has received multi-purpose medial modules, tents and components for building two mobile health units, South Africa and Guinea have received testing systems.”
“Multinational copper and cobalt mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo should take immediate steps to protect the rights of thousands of Congolese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of 11 international and Congolese human rights groups said today in a letter to 13 mining companies.”
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