The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that it may be forced to suspend food aid operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to an unprecedented decline in international funding, potentially leaving millions without critical support.
The UN agency said it requires $728 million to sustain its humanitarian activities through mid-2025 but has received less than 25% of that amount. According to a WFP statement reported by Reuters, food distributions in several provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, and Kasai, could be reduced or halted entirely if additional funds are not secured in the coming weeks.
“The DRC faces one of the world’s most complex and prolonged humanitarian crises, yet funding levels are at a historic low,” said Peter Musoko, WFP Country Director for Congo. “Without urgent support, millions of families will face deepening hunger and malnutrition.”
As highlighted by Al Jazeera, the WFP currently assists over 5.4 million people in the DRC, many of whom have been displaced by ongoing armed conflict and climate-related shocks. The agency warned that a halt in food assistance would exacerbate instability and worsen child malnutrition rates, which are already among the highest in Africa.
The WFP has urged donors to act swiftly to prevent what it called a “humanitarian collapse” in one of the continent’s most food-insecure nations.
