Voicing concern about the ongoing crisis in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where tens of thousands of people have been displaced by recent fighting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday announced that his senior aide will travel to the central African country for talks with top officials. In a statement released by his office, Ban also cited the impact of the crisis on the region in announcing that Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios will leave Wednesday night for a “special mission” to the region. Menkerios previously served as deputy special representative of the secretary-general for the DRC. “Mr. Menkerios will consult with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and other leaders in the region, as well as the DRC's bilateral and multilateral partners, to find ways to resolve the immediate crisis and to address its underlying causes,” spokeswoman Michele Montas told reporters. As long as the crisis remains at the current level of intensity and there is not a serious increase in the rate of displacement, the humanitarian community has the capacity to respond to the needs of affected populations, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. But the agency warned that a significant military assault on the armed groups in the eastern region would have major consequences. “We are currently reassessing our planning figures, our available materials and human resources. A rapid deterioration of the situation could easily overwhelm our existing capacities and make the current humanitarian crisis very difficult to manage,” acting OCHA chief Andrew Wyllie said.
