WHO: Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

WHAT:  Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WHEN: 11-13 March 2018

WHERE: Kinshasa, Kalemie

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, will visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 11 to 13 March.

This is Mr. Lowcock’s first visit to DRC as USG/ERC. In DRC, years of conflict and instability have created one of the world’s most complex humanitarian crises. To date, some 4.5 million people have been displaced, making the DRC the country most affected by internal displacement in Africa. More than two million children are estimated to be at risk of dying from malnutrition and many areas have seen a worsening of humanitarian conditions in recent months. Earlier this year, the humanitarian community in DRC launched its largest ever appeal calling for US$1.68 billion to respond to the needs of some 10.5 million people.

Mr. Lowcock will be joined by Ms. Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands. They will meet with Government Officials in Kinshasa and travel to Kalemie, Tanganyika Province, to see first-hand the humanitarian situation.

Mr. Lowcock’s is expected during his visit to call for greater support to the already large humanitarian response in DRC and invite international donors to the first-ever donor conference for DRC to be held in Geneva on 13 April.