WFP Flash Appeal for the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in the DRC – Democratic Republic of the Congo

About UNHAS DRC

Since its inception in the DRC in 2009, UNHAS has provided safe and efficient air transport services to many humanitarian and development organisations operating in the region. UNHAS has been at the forefront of facilitating humanitarian operations in some of the most vulnerable locations in the country, often inaccessible by road and not served by commercial airlines.

Why is UNHAS critical in DRC?

As the humanitarian crisis in the DRC persists, the need for effective and efficient delivery of aid has become more critical than ever. Despite the immense challenges, UNHAS has consistently provided a lifeline to remote and hard-to-reach areas, enabling the delivery of essential supplies, equipment, and personnel. The impact of UNHAS operations cannot be overstated – without UNHAS, humanitarian efforts in the DRC would be severely compromised.

Funding gap

To maintain its operational capacity, UNHAS requires an annual budget for 2024 of US$34.6 million. However, since the beginning of 2024 new contributions only amount to US$ 1 million in bilateral contributions for the entire operation and US$ 750k in multilateral funding dedicated solely to operations in South Kivu. Annual cost recovery is estimated to cover US$ 11.4 million leaving a shortfall of an estimated US$ 21.4 million to support operations to the end of the year. UNHAS has maintain operations until this date by using the carryover from the previous year (US$ 11.2 million) and cost recovery from January to April (US$ 3.6 million).