DRC gets €32.7m loans to address humanitarian challenges in restive Eastern region

The European Union (EU) has provided a fresh credit facility of 32.7 million euros to the Democratic Republic of Congo to be used to provide assistance to people in the eastern region where several populations have been affected by fighting between the army and rebel groups.

The loan will be channeled through humanitarian organizations to meet immediate needs such as nutrition, health care, water, hygiene, shelter, and protection, the EU said.

“There are currently more than 6.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the DRC, the highest number in Africa (…) The rapidly deteriorating security situation in the east of the country has led to more than 1.1 million civilians joining the ranks of the displaced since March 2022,” the European Commission said in a statement.

The loan is the second tranche financing granted to the African country this year. The commission released another credit of €45.7 million for the displaced populations.

EU also in March and this month airlifted 260 tons of humanitarian aid to populations in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in eastern DRC.

Government forces have been locking horns in the region with rebel groups including M23, believed to be backed by neighboring Rwanda.

The region is awash with natural mineral resources.