A Nation on the Brink
The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a catastrophic hunger crisis, with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) sounding the alarm: over three million people are now in the emergency phase of food insecurity. This staggering figure has nearly doubled in just one year, driven by relentless conflict, mass displacement, and a devastating collapse in humanitarian funding.
WFP Country Director Cynthia Jones paints a grim picture: “Families are skipping meals, selling their last goat, and exhausting every survival option.” The latest IPC report confirms that nearly 25 million Congolese are experiencing high levels of hunger, with three million in IPC Phase 4—just one step away from famine.
Conflict, Collapse, and Displacement
The crisis is rooted in the ongoing clashes between M23 rebels—allegedly supported by Rwanda—and government forces. The violence has triggered one of the world’s largest displacement emergencies, with 5.2 million people forced from their homes, including 1.6 million in 2025 alone.
Infrastructure has crumbled. Banks are shuttered. Airports in conflict zones are closed, cutting off vital humanitarian access. “There’s no money available,” Jones warns. “Livelihoods have been devastated.”
Aid Slashed, Lives at Risk
Despite the soaring need, WFP is being forced to scale back its operations due to a $350 million funding shortfall. Emergency food assistance has already dropped from one million recipients to 600,000. Without immediate intervention, that number could plummet to just 300,000 by March 2026—barely 10% of those in need.
Jones cautions that a “total pipeline break” is imminent, threatening a complete halt to emergency food aid in the eastern provinces. For families enduring wave after wave of violence, this could be a death sentence.
A Call to Action
The situation in eastern Congo is not just a humanitarian crisis—it’s a moral emergency. The international community must act swiftly to restore funding, open humanitarian corridors, and prioritize the lives of millions teetering on the edge of starvation.
The silence surrounding this crisis must end. Lives depend on it.