The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains in the midst of a complex emergency. The 2011 Human Development Index ranked DRC 187th out of 187 countries – a significant deterioration since 2009, when it ranked 176th out of 182 countries. A myriad of factors – years of conflict, poor governance, land disputes and human rights violations – have resulted in the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, the death of approximately four million people and devastated infrastructure.These factors have aggravated an already precarious food security situation and adversely affected the economy.
UN agencies and NGOs have been responsive to the multi-faceted needs of the population by providing required assistance. However, limited access and other logistical challenges have been major constraints, impeding prompt life-saving aid to thousands of people as a result of the almost total absence of road and rail networks. Air travel has therefore been deemed the most reasonable means of travel to most locations in DRC – a country with a territorial size as large as the whole of Western Europe.
WFP/UNHAS DRC provides much needed air transport services to more than 285 humanitarian actors to over 30 destinations
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Jose Odini, Chief Air Transport Officer, WFP/UNHAS D.R.C.
Tel: +243 992 903874 / +243 998 630 920.