Millions Face Worsening Hunger in DRC as Conflict, Ebola and El Niño Converge

The IPC’s most recent assessment, which runs from September 2026 through June 2027, estimates that roughly 28.8 million Congolese—about 23 percent of the population—are experiencing high acute food insecurity, defined as Phase 3 or higher. More than 3.6 million people are already in the most severe emergency category, Phase 4. Projections for the first half of 2027 suggest the situation could expand to 30.3 million people in Phase 3+ and 4.2 million in Phase 4 if current trends continue.

The eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri bear the greatest burden, with 10.4 million residents classified in Phase 3 or above and four territories—Djugu, Fizi, Shabunda and Walungu—placed in Phase 4. Persistent armed conflict fuels displacement, disrupts markets and hampers food access. A record Ebola outbreak, now exceeding 10 000 cases and spread across eight provinces, adds a health shock that further erodes livelihoods. Rising prices for food, fuel and agricultural inputs, together with recurrent disease outbreaks, compound the vulnerability of displaced persons, returnees, refugees and low‑income households.

The anticipated arrival of an El Niño pattern threatens to intensify flooding and reduce crop yields, potentially pushing additional households into hunger. Climate‑related disruptions to market routes could worsen already high food prices. At the same time, humanitarian assistance is reported to be declining, widening the gap between needs and available resources. Addressing the intersecting drivers—conflict, disease, economic shocks and climate—will require coordinated funding and targeted interventions to prevent the projected rise in emergency‑level food insecurity.