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DR Congo

WFP Flash Report: Crisis in Eastern DRC, January 2025

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WFP is deeply concerned about the escalating violence in North and South Kivu, which has displaced more than 400,000 people in the past 25 days. In 2024, over 3 million people were forced to flee their homes in eastern DRC, creating an unprecedented protection crisis.

In the midst of chaos, WFP condemns the escalating violence and stands in solidarity with the affected families, our staff, and their loved ones. The safety and dignity of internally displaced people (IDPs) remain our highest priority.

In North Kivu, intense fighting around Goma and Sake has turned towns into battlegrounds. Hundreds of thousands of people are currently on the move, seeking refuge from the violence. In South Kivu’s Kalehe and Minova, between the 4th and the 20th of January battles have displaced 178,000 people. Families fleeing the fighting face unimaginable challenges, moving from overcrowded displacement sites to urban centers like Goma or remote areas like Idjwi and Kalehe.

Every step of their journey is fraught with danger. Roads are blocked, ports are closed, and those crossing Lake Kivu risk their lives in makeshift boats. The displaced are left with nowhere safe to go, often crowding into schools and churches without adequate facilities.

This is not just a displacement crisis; it is a protection crisis of immense proportions. Women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable. Living in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, many have little access to food, water, or medical care. Hospitals in and around Goma and Minova are overwhelmed, treating the injured from the fighting— certain facilities already at more than double their capacity. WFP is also concerned about the situation’s negative impact on access to food and food prices.

WFP is committed to stay in the region with critical staff, but has temporarily paused its operations in North Kivu given the insecurity. This means that 800,000 people prioritized for support in the area will no longer receive vital food and nutritional assistance.

WFP is focused on supporting the 7.1 million most vulnerable women, men, and children in DRC who depend on us for life-saving and life-changing support in 2025. We aim to resume delivering critical assistance as soon as circumstances allow.
WFP operations in the rest of DRC continue uninterrupted.
The people of the DRC deserve peace—peace for their children, peace for their communities, and peace for their future.

For more information contact: Shelley Thakral / WA +91 6309 927 371 | Nicole Iafolla / WA +243 997 229 623 X/Twitter / Instagram / Facebook: @WFPDRC