Africa focus for WHO on World Humanitarian Day
Listen /
children affected by cholera
Health emergencies in Africa are the focus for the World Health Organization (WHO), as the United Nations observes World Humanitarian Day on August 19th.
WHO's Director of Emergency Management Richard Brennan says the agency has a regional strategy across nine African countries.
He identifies North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as one area where relief agencies are responding to a humanitarian crisis caused by fighting between government forces and armed rebels.
"We know there has been an escalation of violence there with acute displacement of approximately 200,000 people. Cholera is an issue there. WHO, again is playing an important role, in coordinating the response, collecting the appropriate information to allow the humanitarian agencies to prioritize and more effectively direct the response. Tracking the rates of disease, bringing in equipment and supplies and technical experts to advise the local authorities and partners who are responding." (Duration: 26')
WHO says other areas of concern include Sahel where there is a food crisis and war-torn Somalia.
