23.4 million people face hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has released a report on the hunger crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The report notes that the hunger crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, stemming from ongoing conflicts, has deepened further with the rise in violence in the country's eastern provinces. 

The report states that families have been forced to flee their homes, and thousands of people are seeking refuge every day in overcrowded camps where there are shortages of shelter, food, and hygiene supplies.

The report notes that 1.3 million people have benefited from the WFP's emergency response in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, while approximately 1 million people have been displaced from their homes due to conflicts since the beginning of the year.

MORE THAN 6 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED

The report records that 23.4 million people, representing one-quarter of the DRC's population, are facing crisis levels of hunger or worse.

The report states that a large portion of the population lives in poor conditions with little or no access to food, healthcare, and education, and that more than 6 million people have been displaced. 

The statement notes that livelihoods have been destroyed, and indicates that 5.4 million people are experiencing acute hunger, while 1.2 million are facing crisis-level food insecurity in the conflict-affected eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. It was reported that half of the children in North Kivu are malnourished.