A record 28 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo face acute hunger, driven by escalating conflict and economic instability, the UN warns. With food insecurity worsening, humanitarian agencies struggle to respond amid funding cuts.
Twenty-eight million people face acute hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a record for the country, driven by an escalating conflict between the government and Rwandan-backed rebels in the east, the United Nations said on Thursday.
A longstanding humanitarian crisis in Congo has been aggravated by the conflict, with 2.5 million more people becoming acutely hungry since the most recent surge of violence in December, the U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a joint statement.
Those facing acute hunger are classified as Phase 3 or higher in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Of the 28 million in Congo, 3.9 million are Phase 4, meaning they are experiencing emergency levels of hunger.
Phase 5 indicates famine. The country has a population of more than 100 million.
Fighting between the government and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels has escalated since the start of the year into eastern Congo's biggest conflict in decades and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes.
“The current situation is dire for the population, as harvests are lost, food prices soar, millions of people face acute food insecurity and are increasingly vulnerable,” said Athman Mravili, the interim FAO representative in Congo.
More than 10 million of those facing acute hunger are in eastern Congo, which has experienced near-constant insecurity since wars in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide left millions dead and spawned dozens of militia groups.
Elsewhere in the country, inflation and the depreciation of the Congolese franc have made it difficult for many to get enough to eat, the statement said.
Cuts by the U.S. and other leading donors to their foreign aid have left humanitarian agencies struggling to respond to the impacts of conflict, natural disasters and climate change.
In an effort to rejuvenate peace talks surrounding the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, Southern and Eastern African countries have expanded their team of former heads of state overseeing the mediation process.
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have announced plans to reposition their forces from the town of Walikale, which they seized earlier this week, in an effort to support broader initiatives aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rebel leader Corneille Nangaa rejects a ceasefire call in east Congo, vowing to fight until their cause is heard. He condemns a proposed U.S. minerals-for-security deal as "treachery" while M23 fighters advance deeper into Congolese territory, seizing strategic towns.
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels withdrew from peace talks with Congo after EU sanctions on their leaders. With major battlefield wins, they demand more concessions. A surprise ceasefire call from Congo and Rwanda’s presidents may not impact the conflict, as mistrust stalls multiple peace efforts.
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Republican President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was not joking about the possibility of seeking a third presidential term, despite the U.S. Constitution’s clear prohibition against it.
At the opening of the Hanover industrial trade fair on Sunday, March 30, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Europe is prepared to act as one if the United States imposes tariffs on steel and aluminum.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed strong frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was "very angry" and "pissed off" over remarks about Ukraine’s leadership. He warned of tariffs on Russian oil if Moscow is deemed responsible for prolonging the war.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call on Sunday evening to discuss “productive negotiations” aimed at establishing a UK-U.S. economic prosperity deal, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
Republican President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was not joking about the possibility of seeking a third presidential term, despite the U.S. Constitution’s clear prohibition against it.
At the opening of the Hanover industrial trade fair on Sunday, March 30, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Europe is prepared to act as one if the United States imposes tariffs on steel and aluminum.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed strong frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was "very angry" and "pissed off" over remarks about Ukraine’s leadership. He warned of tariffs on Russian oil if Moscow is deemed responsible for prolonging the war.
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