Kinshasa, DR Congo

Thursday, November 6, 2025

More than 26 million people are at risk of severe food insecurity by early 2026 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), amid a drastic decline in international aid, the UN warned on Thursday.
The eastern DRC, rich in natural resources and bordering Rwanda, has been plagued by conflict for 30 years. Violence has intensified since January with the capture of the cities of Goma and Bukavu by the M23 armed group, supported by Kigali.

This violence has caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people, exacerbating an already severe food crisis.
26.6 million people in the country are expected to face “severe food crisis levels or worse by early 2026,” up from 24.8 million in 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a joint statement on Thursday.
Among them, 3.9 million are expected to be in a “food emergency” situation, compared to 3.2 million in 2025, according to the statement, which is based on the latest analysis by the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification), a UN-mandated body.

The eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika account for 75% of these emergencies, the text adds.
Like other international organizations, the two agencies are warning of a sharp decline in humanitarian funding as an international conference is held in Paris on Thursday with the aim of mobilizing the global community to respond to the emergency in eastern DRC.
The FAO says it has only been able to assist 217,000 people out of the 3.6 million planned at the end of August due to a lack of funding. It is seeking $127 million to support 2.4 million people in 2026.
Faced with a $349 million shortfall until April, the WFP has reduced its aid from 2.3 million to 600,000 beneficiaries this year, and a total supply disruption is expected as early as February, according to the organization.
“Without urgent resources and action, millions of lives are at risk,” said Cynthia Jones, WFP’s acting country director.
Child malnutrition also remains a concern, with 3.2 million children suffering from stunted growth due to chronic undernutrition, the statement added.
“Emergency agricultural assistance is one of the most cost-effective ways to respond to humanitarian needs,” argued Athman Mravili, acting representative of the FAO in the DRC, quoted in the press release.

Humaniterre with AFP