Four UN agencies today warned that a record of 30.3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) will face levels of acute or worse food insecurity crisis during the first half of 2027.
© Lusa
13/11/2026
by
Lusa
Quatro UN agencies today warned that a record of 30.3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) will face levels of acute food insecurity crisis, or worse, during the first half of 2027.
The deterioration of the situation is linked to armed conflict, forced displacements and outbreaks of diseases, including that of the Ebola virus, which hinder access to food and weaken the livelihoods of the population, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the latest analysis of the Integrated Classification of Food Safety Phases (ICF), the number projected between January and June 2027 will exceed the 26.5 million recorded in the same period of 2026.
Between September and December 2026, about 29 million people, almost a quarter of the country's population, will already face crisis levels or emergency levels, including 3.6 million in this last phase.
The ICF establishes five phases of acute food insecurity: minimal (phase 1), marked (phase 2), crisis (phase 3), emergency (phase 4) and catastrophe or famine (phase 5).
The forecasts show that the number of people in emergency food will increase by almost 600,000 at the beginning of 2027, up to 4.2 million.
The largest concentration of humanitarian needs is located in eastern DRCongo, where more than 11 million people in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri are expected to face crisis levels, or worse, in the first half of 2027.
Since May the DRC has faced the second most deadly Ebola epidemic in history, with more than 5,400 deaths, at least 11,042 confirmed cases and a lethality rate of 48.9%, according to the latest official data.
“ The Ebola outbreak is a crisis that adds up to a pre-existing crisis, and we need to address these humanitarian needs if we want to stop the spread of the virus,” said WFP’s Director of Emergency Preparation and Response, Ross Smith.
Along with the smallpox of monkeys (mpox), cholera and other health emergencies, the epidemic affects agriculture, restricts mobility, increases life and overloads already fragile health systems.
Violence and forced displacement add to the increase in food prices, logistical barriers and adverse climate phenomena, factors that are reducing crops and reducing the purchasing power of families.
The analysis of the ICF also points to the impact of international crises in the Middle East, the Red Sea and Ukraine on markets and supply chains.
To avoid “another lost crop” and greater external dependence, FAO’s Director of Emergency and Resilience, Rein Paulsen, requested urgent delivery of seeds and tools before sowing in early 2027.
Acute malnutrition and difficulties in accessing health services, drinking water and sanitation especially worsen the situation of children under 5 years old, who are at higher risk of acute malnutrition, warn.
In view of the deterioration of the situation, UN agencies requested coordinated, timely and sustained funding, as well as diplomatic actions to expand food aid, protect and recover agricultural livelihoods and prevent and treat acute malnutrition.
In addition, they warned that humanitarian assistance “is getting dangerously delayed in the face of growing needs” and urged all parties in conflict to protect civilians and ensure safe humanitarian access.