Attachments
In numbers
15.9 million food insecure people and 5 million children acutely malnourished
5.2 million people assisted in 2018
5.1 million people targeted in 2019
1.17 million people reached per month on average
Highlights
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In 2019, WFP continues its corporate Level 3 emergency response, planning to reach 5.1 million people with food and nutrition assistance.
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Hunger remains a major concern, as 15.9 million people are considered to be food insecure in the preliminary results of the 17th Integrated Phase Classification. WFP’s corporate emergency response has been extended for another six months until April 2020, in order to stem a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
Situation Update
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Food insecurity remains critical in DRC. The preliminary results of the 17th Integrated Phase Classification (“IPC”) indicate that 15.9 million people, representing 26 percent of the population analysed, are food insecure. Conflict and displacement remain the primary drivers of this crisis, alongside insufficient agricultural production and limited access to land. WFP continues its corporate Level 3 emergency response covering the six most populous and conflict-affected provinces in Eastern DRC, Tanganyika and the Greater Kasai region. This emergency response has been extended until April 2020, and now includes a seventh province, Kasai Orientale, where the food security situation has deteriorated drastically this year. WFP is also supporting the DRC Government in tackling the ongoing Ebola epidemic that has so far claimed over 2,100 lives.
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WFP operates in an increasingly complex and challenging environment. Insecurity in Eastern DRC continues to complicate WFP’s delivery of humanitarian assistance. In October, WFP staff and beneficiaries were relocated from a distribution site in Rutshuru, North Kivu, due to armed group activity nearby. Armed clashes in the hauts and moyens plateaux of South Kivu province are ongoing and have led to the displacement of over 50,000 vulnerable people in September and October.
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Ebola: In more than one year since the beginning of the outbreak, Ebola has infected over 3,200 people and claimed some 2,100 lives. In recent weeks, the number of new Ebola cases has shown a consistent decline. Although this decline is encouraging, reporting is contingent upon the level of access and security. “Hot spots” have shifted from urban settings to more rural, hard-to-reach communities across a more concentrated geographical area.
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On 18 October, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola epidemic remains a public health emergency of international concern. Whilst the number of affected health zones has decreased, ongoing insecurity and community resistance has led to the suspension of activities in certain areas. When response activities are suspended, the likelihood of underreporting and the potential for the disease to spread to new areas increases. WFP supports the calls by the Congolese Government and WHO for greater communication and engagement within communities. WFP continues to support the ongoing response by providing vital food and nutrition assistance, critical logistics services and operational support to the medical response teams, enabling a swift response in remote affected areas.