Security - 20 August 2026
UN Warns Drone Warfare Is Complicating Aid Delivery In Eastern DRC
Kinshasa, August 20, 2026 - The United Nations warned that rising drone use in eastern DRC is endangering civilians and aid workers, adding a new operational threat to an already complex humanitarian emergency.
Humanitarian coordinator Damien Mama said that from January to June 2026, 243 incidents affected aid workers in the DRC, including six deaths. The warning was issued around World Humanitarian Day on August 19.
The increased use of drones is complicating aid delivery in the east, where humanitarian actors are also confronting the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, described as the largest ever recorded in the country.
The trend raises the cost and uncertainty of operating in eastern DRC, with implications for humanitarian access, public health response, transport corridors and private-sector security planning.
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