DR Congo Hunger: 28.8 Million Face Acute Food Insecurity
By News

About 28.8 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are forecast to face acute food insecurity through December, according to a new alert from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), reported by UN News. The figure could rise to 30.3 million in the first half of 2027. The findings matter because conflict, a record Ebola outbreak and shrinking aid budgets are now converging on the same communities, making the response harder and more expensive to deliver.

What the alert found

The IPC is a UN-backed monitoring platform that classifies food insecurity on a five-phase scale, with Phase 5 representing famine. UN News reports that the 28.8 million people in Phase 3 or above represent 23 per cent of the population analysed. More than 3.6 million of them, about three per cent, are in emergency conditions, or Phase 4.

The national proportion is only marginally higher than in the previous analysis, but the alert says conditions have deteriorated more markedly in the north-eastern and eastern provinces. North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri are the hardest hit, with 10.4 million people in Phase 3 or above. Four territories, Djugu, Fizi, Shabunda and Walungu, are classified in Phase 4. Displaced people, returnees, refugees and poor households are among the groups most affected.

For January to June 2027, the IPC projects a slight deterioration, with 30.3 million people in Phase 3 or above, including 4.2 million in Phase 4. CARE describes this as an additional 1.5 million people being pushed into crisis without urgent action, leaving nearly one in four people analysed affected.

Why the crisis is deepening

The alert identifies several overlapping drivers. In the east, conflict and violence continue to drive displacement, disrupt livelihoods and restrict access to food and markets. UN News also lists rising food, fuel and agricultural input prices, recurrent epidemics, floods and other climate shocks, and declining humanitarian assistance. Anticipated El Niño impacts, including flooding that could disrupt farming and market access, form part of the outlook for 2027.

The Ebola outbreak adds a further layer. UN News reports more than 10,000 cases, with the epidemic first emerging in Ituri and spreading to eight provinces. CARE, citing the CDC, also puts the outbreak above 10,000 cases and says women and girls make up the majority of confirmed cases.

The high numbers are not new. In March 2025, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization reported that 28 million people faced acute food insecurity, which they described at the time as the highest number ever recorded in the country. The latest figure is of a similar order, more than 18 months later.

What it means for agencies and communities

CARE says donors have dramatically cut humanitarian funding to the DRC, leaving aid agencies increasingly stretched. Clemeny Nkubizi, CARE’s country director, said the organisation was working with local partners but could not “meet skyrocketing needs on dwindling budgets”. The country director also described women as the backbone of local food production, caught in a cycle of repeated displacement, hunger, disease and violence.

CARE’s account also points to what farmers themselves are asking for. A farmer in South Kivu, identified as Safi, told the organisation that on some days meals are being cut, and called for seeds, tools and climate-resilient farming practices. CARE says it works with community-based and women-led organisations on food and nutrition assistance, livelihoods, El Niño preparedness, the Ebola response and protection services for survivors of violence.

The combination presents a practical challenge: food security, health and protection teams are serving overlapping populations in insecure areas, with fewer resources.

What this means for NGO job seekers

Funding pressure means that large needs do not automatically translate into more vacancies, and recruitment may be uneven between organisations. Candidates should check how a role is funded and how long it is expected to last. Based on the priorities described in the alert and by CARE, relevant skills are likely to include:

  • Food security and livelihoods: IPC analysis, market monitoring, cash and voucher assistance, and climate-resilient agriculture.
  • Nutrition and public health: community nutrition, infection prevention and control, and risk communication in outbreak settings.
  • Protection: gender-based violence response and safeguarding.
  • Partnership management: supporting local and women-led organisations, including capacity strengthening, compliance and grant management.
  • Languages and context: French, Swahili and other local languages, together with experience in insecure settings and sound security awareness.

You can review openings on our NGO jobs in Congo page, or browse all current NGO jobs and explore other locations through NGO jobs by country. For guidance on applications and interviews, see our career resources.

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