The Democratic Republic on the Congo (DRC) faces an escalating humanitarian crisis, with acute food insecurity and emergency levels of hunger surging in conflict-hit eastern provinces.

A total of 26.6 million people nationwide are projected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse by early 2026, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

Persistent violence in the east continues to drive millions of people from their homes, leaving them without reliable access to food.

The hunger crisis is particularly severe in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Tanganyika, where 3.9 million people are expected to face emergency levels of food insecurity,

Nationwide, nearly half of all children under 5 – a total 3.2 million – are stunted due to chronic malnutrition, with impaired growth and development.

The devastating impact of conflict is compounded by overlapping health emergencies – including cholera, malaria and Mpox outbreaks – along with flooding and landslides that have destroyed crops and critical infrastructure.  

The World Food Programme (WFP) delivers critical food and nutrition assistance, prioritizing the most food-insecure communities. Yet access challenges and funding shortfalls remain key challenges.

Due to funding shortfalls, WFP is supporting 600,000 people in eastern DRC, a reduction from the planned 2.3 million.

WFP urgently requires US$349 million to sustain emergency operations until April 2026.

What the World Food Programme is doing to respond to the DRC emergency

Emergency response

WFP reached 4.5 million people, including internally displaced people, returnees, host communities and refugees, with cash and food between January and September 2025. Over 1 million young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women and girls have received treatment to address and prevent acute malnutrition in 2025.

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