Oxfam's work in Democratic Republic of Congo in depth

Despite its vast potential wealth, the DRC is in the lowest bracket of the human development index ranking 168 out of 174 countries (UNDP). Years of sporadic conflict have resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with approximately 5.4 million dead since 1998, most through preventable diseases.

Since 1998, the DRC has generated successive outflows of refugees into neighbouring countries, while civil strife in these countries has caused others to spill into the DRC.  Mortality rates in some areas approach five times the sub-Saharan average, partly as a direct result of violence but more importantly because of disease and malnutrition.  The five principal causes of death right across the country are fever/malaria, diarrhoea, respiratory infections, tuberculosis and neonatal diseases, together accounting for over 55 per cent of deaths.

Continuing insecurity in parts of the country, as well as a lack of basic services, are the main causes of displacement. There are about 1.7 million displaced persons countrywide; an estimated 1.1 million people are displaced in North and South Kivu alone, of whom 550,000 have fled from the fighting since 2007.

Oxfam has worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the 1960s, and is one of the leading humanitarian public health agencies in the country, with a widely respected and growing development programme centred on education. Our country programme aims to support policy changes at the local, provincial and national levels to maximise its impact on suffering in the DRC, especially in relation to displaced and vulnerable populations.  We also advocate on the crisis at regional and international levels as Oxfam International lead under the Rights in Crisis Campaign.

In the capital, Kinshasa, and in Equateur province (in and around Mbandaka), we work on longer-term development projects aimed towards improving the quality of education for girls and boys.  Teacher training, school rehabilitation, and the promotion of girls’ education in particular assist approximately 40,000 people.  Our development programme focuses on providing support to a coalition of civil society organisations with policy analysis and lobbying.

Meanwhile, in the East of the country, around Bunia, Beni, Goma and Uvira (Ituri district, North Kivu and South Kivu respectively) we work with communities that are hosting tens of thousands of displaced people, refugees and returnees.  We concentrate on providing clean water and sanitation facilities to minimise two of the most important environmental health risks in emergency situations (dirty water and inadequate waste disposal), and work with community groups to promote good hygiene practices and help them to protect themselves against malaria.  Our humanitarian programme assists more than 500,000 vulnerable people.

Oxfam’s country programme is managed across two offices, Goma and Kinshasa.  Our partners include DRC’s civil society and government offices operating in the health and education sectors.  Combined multi-donor funds via the DRC Pooled Fund, United Nations agencies, and other Oxfam affiliates are among our funding sources.

Last updated: July 2008