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1. HIGHLIGHTS

The UN Security Council adopts a resolution on Monusco’s new mandate: On 28 March, the Security Council adopted a resolution that aims to address the root causes of instability in the eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region. The resolution authorized the deployment of an Intervention Brigade within the current United Nations peacekeeping operation in DRC (Monusco) to address imminent threats to peace and security in DRC and is closely aligned with the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region signed in Addis Ababa on 24 February. With troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, the intervention brigade will be based in North Kivu

(Eastern DRC) and will begin operations before July 2013. The brigade will seek to combat armed

group activity in view of the imminent threats they pose to State authority and civilian security. The force is also charged with opening up an already shrinking space for stabilization activities in DRC. Under the same UN Security Council resolution, MONUSCO's mandate was extended until March 31, 2014. Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague, Angelina Jolie and The SRSG against Sexual violence visit DRC: During a press conference on 23 March, Ms. Zainab Bangura, SRSG against sexual violence asserted that the United Nations would continue to assist the DRC in the fight against sexual violence. According to Ms. Bangura, police records report that 90% of rapes are perpetrated by armed men from the FARDC and other militias. During her visit, she met with soldiers of the 41

st battalion of the FARDC and urged them to stop committing acts of sexual violence, particularly

rape. Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague, who was in the country on a visit together with UNHCR special envoy and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie pledged funds on Tuesday 26 March to support the documentation of sexual violence in the DRC, highlighting rape as a weapon of war. During this reporting period, more than 1000 survivors of sexual violence (including children) received WFP assistance in the provinces of South Kivu, North Kivu, Maniema and Orientale (Ituri and Dungu). UN Secretary General appoints UN special envoy to Africa Great Lakes Region: Former Irish President Mary Robinson was appointed as UN special envoy to Africa ’s troubled Great Lakes region. Her mandate includes helping implement the newly signed peace accord aimed at ending conflict in eastern DRC.

WFP DRC Bi-Weekly Situation Report 14-30 March

Situation Report

Not for External Distribution

Thanks to WFP’s school feeding program, many children are guaranteed at least

one hot meal a day!

For more information on WFP DRC please visit: http://www.wfp.org/countries/congo-democratic-republic or visit us

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WFP DRC responds to the needs of the refugees from the Central African Republic: According to UNHCR, more than 30,000 refugees have now crossed into DRC as of March 28. At the moment, WFP has assisted more than 9500 refugees in camps around Gbadolite with a 15 day food ration although many refugees remain in host households. Pre-registration of beneficiaries is on-going by the UNHCR. Furthermore, a general food distribution is planned to start in Bondo (Oriental Province) to provide assistance to an estimated 4,000 refugees, and preparations are ongoing for a general scale up of the assistance if required. WFP is also signing a tripartite agreement with UNHCR and a national NGO for the assistance of an estimated 3,500 refugees in Zongo (Equateur Province). Human Development Index: On 14 March, UNDP released the 2012

Human Development Index in which DRC is last again with Niger.

3. WFP Operations in DRC

EMOP 200480 (Sep 2012 – Jun 2013):

This operation provides newly displaced people with immediate rations of High Energy Biscuits (HEBs), followed by monthly unconditional cash voucher and food transfers until regular assessments show that their food security situation has stabilized. EMOP 200480 is planning to reach a total of 1.2 million beneficiaries by June 2013.

Immediate Response Emergency Operation 200547 (March 2013 -May 2013)

Since December 2012, the Equateur Province in DRC has witnessed an influx of refugees from the neighboring Central African Republic (CAR). In response, WFP has launched an IR-EMOP, in which it is targeting 25,000 beneficiaries. Due to the reported high percentage of women and children, and of malnutrition among the 25,000 refugees, in addition to GFD, WFP plans to provide targeted supplementary feeding (TSF) to address the special needs of an estimated 3,500 malnourished children under 5 and of 1,000 malnourished pregnant and lactating women. This operation urgently requires a total of US$ 1,408,389.

PRRO 200167 (Jan 2011 – extended until 30th June 2013):

This operation covers the same geographic areas as the EMOP, as well as other regions of the country with critical food and nutrition security indicators. The PRRO was extended to align with the new EMOP and focuses on complementary early recovery and resilience support for caseload, as they transition from emergency assistance. The PRRO is targeting over 3.6 million people through to June 2013.

Statement Attributable to the

Spokesperson for the Secretary-

General on the adoption of a new

resolution on MONUSCO’s mandate

“The Secretary-General welcomes

today’s important Security Council

resolution on the Democratic Republic

of the Congo (DRC), which sets out a

new, comprehensive approach aimed

at addressing the root causes of

instability in the eastern DRC and the

Great Lakes region.

The Secretary-General is confident

that the resolution will better enable

the United Nations to support the

implementation of the Peace, Security

and Cooperation Framework for the

DRC and the region signed in Addis

Ababa on 24 February. His Special

Envoy for the Great Lakes region,

Mary Robinson, will work closely with

all stakeholders to take this process

forward.

The Secretary-General hopes that the

strengthening of United Nations

Stabilization Mission in the DRC

(MONUSCO)’s mandate, which also

provides for the creation of an

Intervention Brigade to address the

problem of armed groups, will

contribute to the restoration of

state authority and long-term

stability in the eastern DRC. He

remains personally committed to

helping bring peace and stability

to the people of the DRC and the

Great Lakes region and will keep

working to ensure this remains a

top priority for the international

community”

New York, 28 March 2013

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5. PROGRAMMING ISSUES

5.1 Assessments

In South Kivu, WFP participated in a rapid food security assessment mission organized by the food security cluster in the so called "humanitarian triangle" in the Walungu and the Kabare territories. This area is currently home to many displaced people.

In North Kivu, a joint WFP-FAO mission was carried out in Rugari (Rutshuru territory) to assess the food security and agricultural situation in the area, following recent confrontations between M23 rebel factions. In early March, WFP visited the Rutshuru territory and jointly planned with FAO to implement agricultural activities in order to help IDP returnees re-start their lives.

An inter-cluster mission is currently on-going (28 March and 2 April) in Punia (Maniema province) to assess the humanitarian situation, following recent clashes between the regular army and self-defense militia groups.

A countrywide food security analysis CFSVA (Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis) is ongoing with

IFPRI and preliminary results will be available in May.

An in-depth food security assessment in the Bandundu Province conducted by WFP in collaboration with PRONANUT (Nation Nutrition Program) and FAO in January/February 2013 showed that 12% of the rural population (which represents approximately 891.000 people) is affected by severe food insecurity. Overall, 45% of the rural population is affected by severe or moderate food insecurity. The main causes of food insecurity in the province are chronic poverty, lack of infrastructure, poor health and sanitation services, decades of poor governance.

5.2 Target Populations/Beneficiaries

Currently, WFP activities target old and new caseloads of IDPs, returnees, malnourished children, pregnant and lactating women, primary school children in food insecure areas, demobilized child soldiers, survivors of SGBV and people living with HIV and TB under treatment.

CAR refuges are receiving WFP food assistance under the IR-EMOP 200547 which has been approved and through PRRO 200167.

5.3 Food Distributions

Province Commodity Quantity Beneficiaries

Equateur province (Bosobolo territory)

HEBs 0.860 mt 862 CAR refugees

Equateur province

(Mobayi Mbongo and Yakoma territories)

Food 61.585 mt 7,419 CAR refugees

Equateur province Plumpy Sup 7-day food ration 95 malnourished children, 33 refugees’ children and 62 host families’ children.

Orientale province (Djungu territory)

Food 165 mt 12,764 IDPs and vulnerable people

South Kivu Food 582.16 mt 43,064 IDPs in various villages

South Kivu- Bukavu Food 181 mt school feeding, nutrition and transit refugees

WFP beneficiary receives her vouchers!

For more information on WFP DRC please visit: http://www.wfp.org/countries/congo-democratic-republic or visit us

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6. PIPELINE AND FOOD SUPPLY

WFP DRC seeks a total of US$ 25.6 million for both the PRRO 200167 (US$ 24.3 million, out of which US$ 20.4 million for C&V) and EMOP 200480 (US$ 1.3 million) to secure the food pipeline over the next four months (March to June 2013).

7. LOGISTICS

A proposed alternative overland/river route to Kindu, Maniema Province via Beni and Ubundu has been forwarded to the CO for a feasibility study. If approved, the Beni Warehouse will be used as Transit warehouse for the Maniema operations.

WFP Kindu is expecting 1,646 mt of mixed food commodities from Kalemie & Kampala. This includes 558 mt in transit between Kalemie and Kindu and 993 mt from Kampala.

10. SPECIAL OPERATIONS

Logistics Cluster: Additional funding is needed for the rehabilitation of the road section between the Punia airstrip and Punia town for humanitarian interventions.

Between 22 and 29 March, WFP Kindu carried a mission to assess road conditions on the Lubutu-Punia and Lubutu-Walikale axes.

UNHAS

The CRJ-200 (UN41W) aircraft has been on standby for 2 days for security evacuation of staff in Bangui, CAR.

A bridge collapses in North Kivu!

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