UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos on humanitarian concerns and the General Assembly

United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos called on world leaders to stay focused on the humanitarian agenda as they prepare to gather for the General Debate next week.

This year alone, humanitarian organizations have asked for nearly US$9 billion to provide aid to more than 50 million people in 19 countries. So far, they have only received half of the funds.




Amos, who had seen for herself the humanitarian conditions in 12 crisis-affected countries since the last General Debate, said "we have a number of places where we need to keep the international community's attention focused on on-going protracted crises -- the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one good example."

Amos, who visited the DRC in August, said "since April this year, 266,000 people have fled conflict just in one province of the country, in North Kivu. Left in their droves with very little going they don't know where."

While in the DRC, she visited communities affected by conflict and displacement in North Kivu, in the country's east. Conflict between the Congolese army and armed forces in the region had forced about 60,000 people to flee to neighbouring countries like Rwanda and Uganda since the beginning of the year.

Last month, she also visited Syria for the second time in 2012. She met with Government officials as well as aid workers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the UN Refugee Agency to assess the situation and push for more access to people in need.

Talking about what she had witnessed during her two-day visit, she said "I have been shocked at some of the brutalities from both sides who are engaged in this conflict and the way that civilians have been targeted."

Credit: UN OCHA

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