A cassava seller in DRC
Rome: Between July and December 2024, approximately 25.6 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), or 22 per cent of the population analysed, have been experiencing high acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released here today.
This includes around 3.1 million people facing critical levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 4). Projections for early 2025, suggest a similar outlook unless effective assistance is provided.
“The food security situation remains critical for millions of people in the DRC,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience. “Armed violence and competition for resources have caused massive damage to rural livelihoods and infrastructure, disrupting essential agricultural production. Given the scale of this crisis, even a slight shock – such as rising food prices or a poor harvest – could push even more people to the brink. To reverse these grim trends, it is essential to end hostilities, restore local food production and support rural families in building resilience and improving productivity.”
FAO’s emergency response to food insecurity
According to FAO’s latest Data in Emergencies, the impact of conflict on agricultural livelihoods in the eastern part of the country is worrying. Compared with last year, 25 per cent of livestock keepers reported animal losses and 35 per cent of affected households farmed on less cropland.
FAO said it is supporting conflict-affected families in eastern DRC to improve their food security and nutrition. The Organization prioritizes assistance for internally displaced people (IDPs), returnees and at-risk host communities, helping them to meet essential needs and generate income through emergency livelihood activities.
As about a quarter of the population in the DRC continues to face acute hunger, FAO further said it is pre-positioning agricultural inputs including vegetable seeds and tools in conflict-affected regions to resume agricultural production. Households will be able to produce on small plots of land an average of 100 kg of fresh vegetables per household in just a little over two months.
FAO is assisting 25,000 vulnerable households, or approximately 150,000 people, in North Kivu and Ituri through cash+, by combining unconditional cash transfers with micro-gardening or livestock production inputs.
The ongoing cash distributions in North Kivu are enabling participating IDPs to meet their immediate food and basic needs. Starting in November, households will also benefit from the provision of vegetable seeds, tools and training, or the delivery of essential resources such as animal feed, health protection equipment, vaccination campaigns and technical assistance. “This will enable participants to enhance livestock health and production and to produce their own food,” FAO said.
– global bihari bureau
