WHO: 1 Million Children In Congo Threatened With Acute Nutrition Shortage

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that one million children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will suffer from acute malnutrition if no action is taken immediately following armed conflict and the country's evacuation crisis.

"If immediate action is not taken to meet basic needs in Congo, more than a million children will suffer from acute malnutrition," WHO senior emergency official Adelheid Marschang was quoted as saying by Anadolu, Saturday, July 13.

The refugee conflict and crisis is the main driver of food vulnerability in Congo, the Marschang said, citing a recent report that found 40.8 million people facing serious food shortages in the African country with 15.7 million people facing severe food insecurity and the risk of malnutrition and higher infectious diseases.

Marschang said that in recent months, Congo has faced rising conflicts and violence, leading to mass evacuation, widespread illness, and gender-based violence, as well as severe mental trauma, particularly in the eastern part of the country.

The DRC is also listed as the country with the highest number of people in need of humanitarian assistance worldwide because 25.4 million people have been affected.

"Meskipun demikian, krisis ini masih merupakan salah satu krisis yang paling kekurangan dana," ucapnya.

The WHO official also highlighted the total number of refugees, totaling around 7.4 million and said mass displacements not only burdened the water and sanitation system but also resulted inemphorrhagic,embid, meningitis, and monkeypox outbreaks.

All of these conditions are exacerbated by large floods and landslides that hit several areas in the country.

Pada 2024, lebih dari 20,000 kasus celembung dan hampir 60.000 kasus lubricantasi telah dilaporkan. Jumlah tersebut sebenarnya mungkin akan lebih tinggi karena terbatasnya pengawasan penyakit dan pelaporan data.

Meanwhile, WHO has reached 460,000 people with emergency health services in areas affected by this year's conflict.

Marschang stressed that humanitarian access is still severely limited by military presence while calling for sustainable and unobstructed access, and urging all parties to work together to restore peace.