Democratic Republic of the Congo

A total of 28 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are facing acute food insecurity – a record for the country and up by 2.5 million in 3 months.

Escalating conflict and the loss of livelihoods continue to drive families deeper into desperation. Surging inflation, disrupted markets and limited humanitarian access are making it even harder for families to access food.

Almost 4 million people are experiencing emergency levels of hunger, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

The crisis is particularly critical in eastern DRC, where 10.3 million people in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu are facing acute food insecurity.

This is one of the largest displacement crises in the world, with 7.8 million people forced from their homes. Many of these people are especially vulnerable as they have been displaced multiple times during a decades-long crisis exacerbated by extreme weather events. A significant concentration are in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.

DRC also continues to grapple with multiple health crises, including being the epicentre of the global Mpox outbreak and enduring epidemics such as cholera, measles and - more recently - severe strains of malaria and influenza. These challenges are compounded by high rates of acute malnutrition.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to prioritize assistance to the most vulnerable people due to projected funding shortfalls. WFP plans to reach 6.4 million people with food and nutrition assistance in 2025, while also investing in long-term solutions.

WFP requires an additional  US$433 million to sustain operations until October 2025.