Crisis Deepens in DR Congo: Millions Face Severe Hunger, Aid Efforts Strained
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing a rapidly escalating food security crisis, with nearly 25 million people experiencing high levels of hunger, according to a recent report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform. This represents a important increase in need, with approximately three million individuals now at “emergency” levels of hunger (IPC4) - nearly double the number from last year.
The World food program (WFP) reports that people are already dying of hunger in parts of the region, exacerbated by ongoing conflict between M23 militiamen and DRC government forces.This fighting is driving mass displacement, with around 5.2 million people currently displaced across eastern DRC, including 1.6 million displaced this year alone, making the DRC one of the worldS largest displacement crises.
“Areas have been closed basically since the end of January…we’re urgently calling for a humanitarian air corridor to be established,” stated Cynthia Jones, WFP’s Country Director for DRC. The closure of essential services,including banks,has further crippled the region,devastating livelihoods and hindering both the population’s access to resources and the humanitarian response.
The consequences for families are dire. Individuals are being forced to skip meals and sell off essential assets, including livestock, simply to survive. Millions of subsistence farmers have been unable to plant crops this year due to displacement and fear of violence,threatening future food supplies.
Despite the growing need,the WFP is facing a critical funding shortfall. Assistance has already been reduced from approximately one million people at the start of the year to 600,000 currently. Without $350 million in funding over the next six months, the WFP warns it will be forced to further reduce assistance to just 300,000 people – representing only 10% of those in need. A complete halt to emergency food assistance in the eastern provinces is projected by March 2026 if funding does not materialize.
the funding crisis is also impacting the WFP’s internal operations, leading to office closures, staff reductions, and a struggle to maintain operational capacity in a complex and insecure environment. Ms. Jones emphasized the urgent need for peace, stating that affected communities have endured “devastating sequences of violence” and are “tired, fatigued and need peace.”
