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The United Nations (UN) warned that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing a catastrophic hunger crisis, largely due to a sharp decline in international aid, which risks triggering widespread regional instability.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme (WFP), nearly 27 million people in the DRC are currently experiencing “crisis levels of food insecurity or worse,” a staggering figure that includes nearly four million facing emergency levels of hunger.
Despite its vast wealth in natural resources and lucrative minerals, the DRC is plagued by deep poverty, exacerbated by three decades of ongoing conflict in its eastern region, fuelled by disputes over these same resources.
The situation has been intensified by funding shortfalls.
The WFP reported that a $349 million deficit forced it to drastically reduce the number of people receiving assistance this year, slashing coverage from 2.3 million to just 600,000.
The WFP needs $127 million in emergency funds immediately, warning that without this money, all aid in the DRC will cease by February.
Officials emphasised that millions of lives are now at risk, urging immediate action before the cost of inaction becomes “irreversible.”
The UN also highlighted the long-term impact of the crisis, noting that over three million children in the country suffer from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition.
