U.S. Boosts DRC Aid to $414M, Donates 50,000 Mpox Vaccines
The United States has stepped up its support for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with an additional $10 million in humanitarian aid. This brings the total U.S. assistance to nearly $414 million since 2022, aiming to tackle the severe crisis affecting millions of Congolese people.
The new funding will provide crucial health assistance, including food, healthcare services, and nutrition support. This comes as over 25 million people in DRC, approximately a quarter of the population, require immediate aid due to ongoing conflicts and the devastating impact of the mpox outbreak.
The mpox crisis, which has affected around 27,000 people and claimed over 1,100 lives, has disproportionately affected children. In response, the U.S. will donate 50,000 mpox vaccines to help combat the outbreak. The U.S. hopes this contribution will encourage other countries, such as members of the European Union and UN-associated organizations, to provide further support for DRC's humanitarian efforts.
The UN's aid appeal for DRC this year is $2.6 billion, but currently, only one-third of this funding has been secured. Since 2022, conflicts in DRC have displaced over 1.7 million people, adding to the existing 7.2 million internally displaced Congolese. Alarmingly, over one million children in DRC are now at risk of acute malnutrition.
The U.S. contribution of $10 million, along with the donation of 50,000 mpox vaccines, is a significant boost to DRC's humanitarian response. However, with the UN's aid appeal still underfunded and the scale of the crisis, further international support is urgently needed to address the dire situation facing millions of Congolese people.
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