2 December 2008 -- Massive displacement of population, weak health services and a lack of safe water and proper sanitation facilities have put the health of hundreds of thousands of people at risk in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

WHO is leading the coordinated health response to the emergency. With its partners, WHO has launched an intense operation in Kibati and other camps located around Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province. The aim is to prevent and control potentially life-threatening diseases and to ensure safe water supply and proper sanitation in temporary camps where thousands of displaced people are now living.