Hunger Crisis In the DRC
Today, the DRC is the world's largest hunger crisis and counts Africa’s highest number of internally displaced people. Years of conflict and the impact of COVID-19 are intensifying hunger for millions of Congolese.
Decades of civil war have wrought havoc on the DRC. Now, the country faces another killer: COVID-19. The deadly combination has caused widespread hunger – one out of every four Congolese are hungry – and WFP is scaling up operations to save their lives.
DRC: A Fight for Peace
December 2019
At the end of November, armed groups began targeting civilians and Ebola health centers, forcing aid groups – including WFP – to suspend their operations and withdraw their staff. This Ebola outbreak has become the second biggest on record, killing over 2,200 people since mid-2018. WFP is working to deliver food to people suspected of carrying the disease so they don’t need to leave their homes.
Photo: WFP/Deborah Nguyen
August 2019
August 1, 2019 marks one year since the DRC Government declared an outbreak of the Ebola virus. At the end of July it was declared a public health emergency of international concern. Almost one in three cases is a child. Though the outbreak is primarily a health crisis, it hurts local businesses, prevents children from going to school and pushes people further into hunger. WFP has been on the front lines, delivering food to 440,000 people and meals to 25,000 schoolchildren in Ebola-affected areas.
Source: Press Release Photo: WFP/Tara Crossley
December 2018
5 million Congolese people are internally displaced, unable to return to their homes because of violence, and 7.7 million are severely food insecure.
August 2018
An infestation of Fall Armyworms reduces DRC's corn crops by 64%, pushing families further into hunger.
January 2018
Airlifts from France of Plumpy’Sup, a nutrient-rich, ready-to-use supplementary food, allow WFP to treat 9,000 malnourished children.
November 2017
Lagging donations force WFP to cut its food distribution to 400,000 people by half.
Photo: WFP/Jacques David
July 2016
WFP launches its assistance program following the eruption of brutal conflict and ethnic violence. Rations include cereal, beans, vegetable oil and salt.
Photo: WFP/Jacques David
WFP reached 6.9 million people in the DRC in 2020, but millions more are severely food insecure.
- 27M people are severely food insecure
- 3.4M children don't get enough to eat
- 5.5M Congolese are internally displaced from their homes
Rebuilding Lives
Despite difficult and oftentimes dangerous circumstances, WFP continues to provide support to Congolese families in need. In 2021, WFP plans to reach 8.7 million people in DRC with food, nutrition and cash-based assistance—nearly two million more than last year
Helicopters
WFP operates UNHAS, running daily flights and carrying humanitarian workers, cargo, mobile laboratories and protection equipment. UNHAS also enables access to Ebola-affected areas.
Resilience Work
WFP’s resilience-building programs, implemented with FAO and UNICEF, are key peace and development. Key components of the programs are training courses for women in literacy, business and leadership skills.
Cash Transfers
Cash is an effective and cost-efficient form of food assistance that allows families to buy what they want in stores. With cash transfers, people can buy a variety of food items and improve their nutrition.
Farmer Support
WFP teaches small-scale farmers how to run and grow their businesses , from planting and harvesting to storing and selling . Women receive special support so they can sell products like livestock or charcoal.
