Sign in Subscribe
Agriculture

Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with acute food insecurity remaining high and emergency hunger levels surging in conflict-hit eastern provinces. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warn that 26.6 million people nationwide are projected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse by early 2026, including 3.9 million people in emergency levels of hunger. The situation is dire in the eastern provinces, where ongoing violence, population displacement, and limited humanitarian access continue to exacerbate food insecurity.

Key Takeaways:

  • The FAO and WFP warn of an escalating humanitarian crisis in the DRC, with 26.6 million people projected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse by early 2026.
  • The crisis is most severe in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika, where over 10 million people are expected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse by January 2026.
  • Malnutrition among children is a major concern, with nearly half of all children under five (approximately 3.2 million) stunted due to chronic undernutrition.
  • FAO requires $127 million to scale up support to assist around 2.4 million people in 2026, but has only assisted 217,000 people out of the 3.6 million planned by the end of August 2025 due to a massive funding gap.
  • WFP continues to focus its response in the eastern provinces, but growing needs threaten to overwhelm already stretched resources, with a $349 million funding gap through April 2026.
  • The IPC Acute Malnutrition (AMN) analysis is currently underway to better understand the severity of malnutrition in the DRC.
  • Rosette Mongui, Deputy Representative, WFP told media in DRC, "We are working tirelessly with the government and the humanitarian community despite shrinking resources for this neglected crisis, the latest IPC figures make one thing clear: the eastern DRC's food crisis is escalating, Without urgent resources and action, millions of lives are at risk, and regional stability will suffer."

Statistics:

  • 26.6 million people nationwide are projected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse by early 2026.
  • 3.9 million people in emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4).
  • 10 million people in the eastern provinces are expected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse by January 2026.
  • 75% of all people in emergency levels of hunger are concentrated in the eastern provinces.
  • 3.2 million children under five are stunted due to chronic undernutrition.
  • FAO requires $127 million to scale up support to assist around 2.4 million people in 2026.
  • WFP has a $349 million funding gap through April 2026.
  • 217,000 people assisted by FAO out of the 3.6 million planned by the end of August 2025.
  • 600,000 people currently assisted by WFP, reduced from 2.3 million planned in 2025.

Sources:

  • The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP)
  • Report: MIL-OSI Publisher
  • APO -- Report:
  • .

Read more