Fletcher DRC visit - 27 June 2025

Description
STORY: OCHA / DRC FLETCHER VISIT
TRT: 05:10
SOURCE: OCHA
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT OCHA ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 25-26 JUNE 2025, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Shotlist
25 JUNE 2025, SHASHA, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

1. Various shots, UN convoy arriving to Shasha, North Kivu
2. Various shots, Tom Fletcher meeting and greeting North Kivu communities
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“The needs are enormous. Over 20 million people here need support right now. And we're obviously dealing with the funding crisis globally, not just here in DRC, but it's particularly acute around the work that we're doing here in DRC.”
4. Various shots, Tom Fletcher talking to communities affected by displacement and gender-based violence
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“OCHA has documented hundreds, thousands of cases of sexual violence and gender-based violence across this region since January. This is an epidemic of violence. Women's bodies are war zones right now, and these numbers are overwhelming. But the stories are over overwhelming, too. And when you sit with the survivors, as I have done now, and you hear their stories, these are women of extraordinary courage and resilience. But they shouldn't have to go through this. They shouldn't have to rebuild their lives in this way. We'll be here to support them. But this epidemic of sexual violence must stop.”
6. Various shots, Tom Fletcher meeting with community in Minova, North Kivu and visiting a mobile clinic providing healthcare to people affected by conflict
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“It’s very hard right now, with the battle lines moving the whole time, to get access to the communities that need our help. And a peace deal will help to secure that access for our trucks, for our support for our food, for our medicine. And that's what we need right now.”

26 JUNE 2025, BUHUMBA, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

8. Various shots, UN convoy riding in North Kivu
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“And we have to work with over 200 armed groups here on the ground to try and negotiate that access. Road by road, airport by airport. And when that's restricted, then that has a real impact on our operations. So we need to get much more aid in. And to do that, we need completely unimpeded access.”
10. Various shots, women cooking in Buhumba, North Kivu
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“For years, we've relied on the generosity of the American taxpayer. They've been huge leaders here in the DRC. Our programs were 70%-funded by the United States taxpayer. So obviously, the reduction in their support has a huge impact on what we do. We have to keep making the case. We have to make the case in Washington, and we have to make the case to other donors for why these communities deserve our support.”
12. Various shots, Tom Fletcher visiting area of return in Buhumba, Nyiragongo territory, North Kivu, and a site of Integrated health programming with GBV response and interacting with affected communities

Storyline
At the end of a visit to the DR Congo’s east, UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher said, “The needs are enormous. Over 20 million people here need support right now.”

While humanitarian teams reach over 2 million people a month with life-saving support, slashed funding has imposed brutal choices.  “We have to keep making the case (…) for why these communities deserve our support,” said Fletcher.