Nearly 29 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing acute levels of hunger. New data released by the World Food Programme on Tuesday shows that 28.8 million individuals currently suffer from acute food insecurity across the country, based on findings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification covering September 21 to November 2.
The agency warned that the affected population could exceed 30 million people between January and June 2027. About 3.6 million people are currently enduring emergency conditions.
Alain Akpadji, the United Nations Population Fund Resident Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo, addressed the situation during a workshop in Kinshasa.
“Behind these numbers are human lives, including women, displaced people and children,” Akpadji warned while officials viewed the data.
The eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri bear the heaviest burden, remaining the hardest hit areas in the country. Akpadji explained that food insecurity persists here despite fertile land and high agricultural potential.
Persistent conflict and violence drive the crisis. They limit access to land and disrupt agricultural production, local markets and people’s livelihoods.
Benjamin Toirambe, an official from the Congolese Agriculture Ministry, responded to the findings at the workshop. Toirambe stated that the government would make efforts to provide relevant ministries with substantial resources to improve the food situation in local communities.
