Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) hosts one of the largest hunger crises in the world. Hunger and violence fuel one another, with armed conflict and widespread displacement prevailing for the past 25 years. Multiple other health, weather and economic crises compound humanitarian challenges. The resurgence of Ebola in eastern DRC is deeply concerning and requires urgent coordinated action.

A total 26.5 million people are experiencing crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity, and 3.2 million are stunted due to chronic malnutrition – with impaired growth and development.

The hunger crisis is particularly severe in the conflict-affected eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika, where 3 million people are expected to face emergency levels of food insecurity in 2026. 

Around 1.1 million  Congolese nationals are refugees in neighbouring countries. At the same time, DRC – already struggling with internal conflict – hosts over 518,000 refugees and asylum seekers who have fled violence in neighbouring countries, mainly the Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has supported 1.3 million people in eastern DRC since January 2026. In the context of health shocks, escalating conflict, fluctuating food security and severe funding shortages, funding is a critical factor. WFP requires over USD 214 million to respond to urgent needs in eastern DRC, and over USD 10 million specifically for Ebola.