OCHA collaborate with humanitarian organizations to combat sexual violence in the DRC

The United Nations Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for the DRC, Suzanna Tkalec, said in Washington that women and girls in the states of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri continue to face alarming levels of gender-based violence due to the resurgence of violence between of militant groups and government forces. Tkalec said a recent report by the charity Doctors Without Borders found that about 90,000 women and girls sought medical help after being assaulted and raped this year. The report said those who came forward may represent only a small proportion of the total number of victims. Tkalec says survivors are unable to access life-saving services of sexual violence or report their abuse, fearing stigma from their communities or the perpetrators retaliating. " Many of these incidents are real, due to the difficult conditions in which women and girls live," Tkalec said. He says OCHA does not have much capacity to provide aid because its plan to deal with humanitarian issues for the year 2023 is only funded at 38 percent.