Shabreen Manahil
Being the poorest continent of the world, some countries in Africa have been immensely suffering from the humanitarian crises for decades. The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most serious, complex and prolonged humanitarian crises in the world. The Two decades of conflict, civil wars in 1996 and 1998, violence, political instability, human rights violation, poverty and the frequent attacks of life threatening diseases have made the Democratic Republic of Congo suffer from humanitarian crisis. The most important unit and backbone of any society, children are usually more vulnerable and get adversely affected by the armed conflicts. They not only get mentally disturbed, but their emotions, health and education also deteriorates. The second largest country in Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo, is one of the most populous countries in Africa. Fortunately it is enriched in natural resources but on the other hand, unfortunately its people are still living their lives in extreme poverty leading to serious humanitarian crisis. The displaced population due to conflicts resulted in high levels of poverty, inadequate food, hunger and malnutrition. Although United Nations has worked hard and remained successful, to some extent, in overcoming the humanitarian crisis in DRC. But with an increase in other humanitarian crisis across the globe in the 21st century, UN is now juggling with certain issues on its plate. In order to contribute productively to the society, I would like to present some ideas or recommendations to resolve the humanitarian crisis in DRC.
The first solution to resolve the humanitarian crisis in DRC could be to establish an organization especially for DRC where the humanitarian crisis of DRC can be addressed. This organization can be made to work under the supervision of UN. This organization can be run by the university students from different countries who are interested in providing their services for the betterment of children facing challenges in DRC. In UN missions, the skilled and experienced officials lead the missions of providing services. However, a mission of a particular group of students could be organized. These students could be divided into further groups i.e. teachers, doctors, social workers, philanthropists, psychologists, nutritionists etc. according to their own interests. The idea of involving students is presented because the young generation with motivation and zeal could work with passion, they are more aware of the feelings and psyche of children due to less age gap and hence are more willing to help them with deep feelings and empathy. So if this idea is implemented practically, UN should provide the group of students with safety and security and ensure that they can work freely without any threat and restrictions. In my opinion, if this is implemented, it surely can speed up the process of development.
The second and the most important solution in my mind for the welfare of children is, to take financial support from the elites of the world i.e. celebrities, players, business tycoons or any famous figures for example Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffett etc. Their contributions in terms of financial aid could be minor for them but these could play a major role in making the lives of children better and more comfortable. This funding process could be monitored in the organization which is established for the DRC. Through these funds more health and education sectors i.e. hospitals, community centers, schools etc. could be constructed where the staff could also include male and female students who are skilled in their particular area of interest.
The last but not the least solution I would like to present is, could be to educate children in DRC by using technology. UN and other platforms have taken the step of opening schools in different parts of the country. But in addition to this, the use of technology has to be introduced with such a serious consideration that students in and outside the school, could be given education by providing them with the facility of smartphones with an availability of internet. It would also help them stay familiar with use of technology, day to day happenings of the world and get awareness of changing progress trends. And for this, the funds which would be gathered from the well settled people across the globe. I believe these ideas could also be implemented in other countries which are facing such humanitarian crisis.
In addition to this, the education would also be given to the adults. As I discussed earlier, that the Democratic Republic of Congo is populous and its land is enriched in natural resources. So it is a dire need of the hour to educate adults for their rights violation and some modern skills. A specialized group of professionals who are well learned with some technical skills, could be made. The use of technical machinery could be taught to them so that in the longer run, the professional and skillful men and women would get empowered enough to face the hurdles imposed in DRC. These people when reach to a certain status will be able to extract natural resources without any restrictions or involvement of the Government. Through this, trade chances can be improved. The export of the country’s natural resources i.e. oil, diamond, gold etc., in the long run, will give a boost to the economy of the DRC which would ultimately lessen the poverty and would improve the living standards in DRC.
To conclude, I would say that the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo arise from the two decades of conflict, violence, political instability, human rights violation and the frequent attacks of life threatening diseases. These humanitarian crisis can be resolved by establishing the organization within the Democratic Republic of Congo under the supervision of the UN where the humanitarian issues should be addressed. This organization would be run by well-educated and motivated university students who will further run the education sectors, health sectors and other institutions with their diverse talents and skills. This organization and institutions would be run by the funds given by the rich personalities of the world. Children and adults would be given access to technology from which they would get education and in the longer run, well-trained and skilled individuals would emerge which will definitely play a vital role in consumption of the country’s natural resources and overall contribution in the well –being of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Written by : Shabreen Manahil
Department: International Relations
Bachelors in International Relations IR
Fatima Jinnah Women University
