The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is located in the center of East Africa, extending to the Atlantic Ocean and sharing borders with the enclave of Cabinda (Angola) to the west-southwest, the Republic of Congo to the west, the Central African Republic to the north, South Sudan to the north-east, Uganda to the east-north-east, Rwanda and Burundi to the east, Tanzania to the east-south-east, Zambia to the south-south-east and Angola to the south-west. Most of these countries are experiencing internal conflicts that have an impact on the DRC and a regional dynamic.
The recurrence of armed conflicts for more than two decades, particularly in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has led to serious human rights violations, incessant population movements both inside and outside the country, major humanitarian needs which unfortunately remain largely unmet despite strong support from the international community, and more recently, attacks by armed groups in IDP sites. In addition, there are epidemic health crises (Ebola hemorrhagic fever, cholera, etc.) and natural disasters such as the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in Goma in 2002 and in May 2021. Faced with the recurrence of humanitarian crises, humanitarian agencies continue to come in large numbers to support the efforts of the authorities.
According to the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2023-2024, the DRC has 26.4 million people in need and 5.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), which represents one of the largest humanitarian crises in Africa and the world. The provinces most affected by the crisis are Ituri, South Kivu (SK), North Kivu (NK) and Tanganyika. Despite the different contexts from one province to another, the majority of displaced people are outside collective facilities (official or spontaneous sites and collective centers) (+90%). The CCCM Cluster focuses on coordinating the response in sites and other collective facilities, while also proposing an off-site approach in areas with a high concentration of IDPs or near reception sites or areas.
In terms of response, the CCCM cluster intervenes in the humanitarian system by following the strategies and sectoral frameworks of the clusters grouped within the inter-cluster, at national level and through the Provincial Humanitarian Operational Coordination (COHP) in the four Eastern provinces, coordinated by OCHA, in line with the triple NEXUS approach, particularly in North Kivu and Tanganyika, with prospects for implementing this approach in Ituri.
Camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) in the DRC dates back to 2006, initially as a working group only in North Kivu province which was later extended to other provinces. Since 19 June 2022, the working group has given way to the CCCM Cluster which has been formally activated at the national level, with UNHCR as lead agency and IOM as co-lead agency.