Congo faces severe hunger crisis amid conflict

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a dire warning about the escalating hunger crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Approximately three million people in the region are now facing emergency‑level hunger, a figure that has nearly doubled over the past year. The crisis is driven primarily by relentless conflict and a severe funding shortage.

WFP Country Director Cynthia Jones describes the situation as alarming: families are forced to skip meals, deplete their assets and sell 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 and at immediate risk. The UN agency reports that people are already dying of hunger in parts of eastern DRC, underscoring the catastrophic human toll.

The conflict between M23 rebels and DRC government forces—allegedly backed by Rwanda—has created one of the world’s largest displacement crises. A total of 5.2 million people have been displaced, including 1.6 million this year alone. The collapse of vital infrastructure, such as 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 faces a massive funding shortfall, forcing the organization to cut 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 fall to just 300,000 by March—only 10 % of those in desperate need. Jones warned of a “total pipeline break” by March 2026, which would halt all emergency food assistance in the eastern provinces.

The situation in eastern DRC is critical. Exhausted families are surviving “devastating sequences of violence” and clinging to life. The international community must act immediately to address the funding shortfall and provide humanitarian assistance. The WFP’s warning serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for a comprehensive response, including a humanitarian air corridor and increased funding for emergency food assistance.