The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a dire warning regarding the escalating hunger crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Approximately three million people in the region are currently facing emergency levels of hunger, representing a near doubling of the figure over the past year. This crisis is largely attributed to relentless conflict and a severe funding shortage.
According to WFP Country Director Cynthia Jones, the situation is alarming, with families being forced to skip meals, deplete their assets, and sell off their livestock. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report confirms that nearly 25 million people are experiencing high levels of hunger, with three million in the “emergency” phase at immediate risk. The UN agency has reported that people are already dying of hunger in parts of eastern DR Congo, underscoring the catastrophic human toll of the crisis.
The conflict between M23 rebels and DRC government forces, allegedly backed by Rwanda, has created one of the world’s largest displacement crises, with 5.2 million people displaced, including 1.6 million this year alone. The collapse of vital infrastructure, including the closure of banks and airports, has crippled humanitarian access and devastated livelihoods. Jones has urgently called for a humanitarian air corridor to reach those in need, emphasizing that “there’s no money available… it has devastated livelihoods.”
Despite the growing needs, the WFP is facing a massive funding shortfall, forcing the organization to make significant cuts to its lifesaving aid. Assistance has already been reduced from one million people to 600,000, and without an immediate $350 million, the number of people receiving aid will drop to just 300,000 by March – a mere 10% of those in desperate need. Jones has warned of a “total pipeline break” by March 2026, which would result in a complete halt of all emergency food assistance in the eastern provinces.
The situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is critical, with exhausted families surviving “devastating sequences of violence” and clinging to life. The international community must take immediate action to address the funding shortfall and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. The WFP’s warning serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for a comprehensive response to the crisis, including a humanitarian air corridor and increased funding to support emergency food assistance.