Attachments
Conflict and rising food prices make acute hunger soar to the highest level ever recorded in DRC, with 28 million people – almost a quarter of DRC’s entire population – facing acute food insecurity, according to the latest Food Security Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Assessment, published on 27 March 2025.
Context
The conflict between non-state armed actors, most prominently the 23 March Movement (M23), and the Congolese Government’s Armed Force (FARDC) has been ongoing relentlessly over the last months, killing more than 7,000 people in 2025 alone and leading to a record level of 7.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in DRC and 103,000 people seeking refuge in neighbouring countries (with Burundi registering 70,000 new arrivals, and Uganda nearly 29,000). Following the M23’s order to evacuate IDP camps around Goma, nearly 1 million people were forced to return to their villages, many of which have been fully destroyed.
Over the last weeks, M23 has been advancing westwards in North Kivu and southward in South Kivu. A Qatari-mediated ceasefire announcement by the Presidents of DRC and Rwanda following a meeting in Doha, Qatar, on 18 March 2025, has so far shown little effect.
Different than announced, M23 has not withdrawn troops from Walikale, North Kivu, while fighting continues around Bukavu and Uvira, South Kivu.
Food Security: The latest IPC (integrated food security phase classification) assessment shows a further deterioration of humanitarian needs in DRC, where conflict and rising food prices pushed 2.5 million more people into acute food insecurity.
A staggering 28 million people are now facing acute food insecurity—the highest number ever recorded in the DRC— including 3.9 million people at emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4).
Internally displaced people remain amongst the most vulnerable. According to the updated analysis, those suffering from acute food insecurity increased from 55% to 61%, with 20% in emergency conditions (IPC phase 4). The situation is particularly dire in the conflict-affected eastern provinces, where families have lost access to their livestock and livelihoods. 10.3 million people are facing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above), including 2.3 million in emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4).
Health: The health situation also remains of great concern, as the ongoing conflict and displacement is seeing the spreading of infectious diseases while hindering testing and an effective medical response.
Between January and mid-March 2025, 12,600 cases of cholera were detected country-wide, with a mortality rate of 2 percent. In addition, 15,200 cases of MPOX have been confirmed in 2025, and a suspected mortality rate of 1.9 percent.
WFP Operations
Following localized interruptions due to active fighting in the areas of operations,
WFP has resumed emergency food assistance in North and South Kivu mid-March. Still, humanitarian access remains a major challenge, given the continued closure of Goma and Kavumu airports.
Warehouse lootings, cash liquidity issues following bank closures, as well as food import restrictions represent further substantial operational constraints. WFP is adjusting its emergency response and planning to ramp up the response in coordination with partners. WFP aims to reach 6.4 million people across DRC in 2025.
UNHAS
Given the continued closure of Goma and Kavumu airports, UNHAS’ Eastern DRC hub has temporarily relocated to Kalemie, connecting the provincial capital of Tanganyika with Kinshasa and Kananga.
Due to an acute lack of Jet A1 Fuel UNHAS has had to suspend the inter-Kasai flights.