DRC Humanitarian Response Refocused on 7.3 Million People Amid $1.4 Billion Funding

Kinshasa, January 28, 2026 - Facing a severe funding shortfall, the humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced a major reprioritization of its 2026 response, targeting 7.3 million people-less than half of the nearly 15 million in critical need. The government and its humanitarian partners launched an urgent appeal on Wednesday for USD 1.4 billion to address the country’s most pressing humanitarian needs. The revised plan reflects a sharp reduction from 2025, when 11 million people were targeted. According to humanitarian officials, this shift represents a strict prioritization of populations facing the most immediate threats to survival, as the country grapples with ongoing armed conflict, mass displacement, climate shocks, and recurring epidemics. The impact of underfunding has already been severe. In 2025, reduced operational capacity led to the closure of more than 1,000 nutrition centers, leaving over 390,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition without essential care. An estimated 1.5 million people lost access to primary healthcare due to facility closures, medicine shortages, and weakened epidemic response. Monthly food assistance targets were reduced by up to 73%, exposing vulnerable communities to heightened hunger and deprivation. “The combination of immense needs and limited resources forces us to make extremely difficult, sometimes impossible, choices,” said Bruno Lemarquis, Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC. “We call for renewed and strengthened financial commitments to preserve lives, dignity, and prevent millions from being deprived of vital support.” The 2026 plan comes amid a deeply disrupted humanitarian environment, particularly in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, where intensified fighting since January 2025 has reshaped needs, disrupted supply chains, and imposed growing administrative and security constraints. Access to affected populations has become increasingly dangerous and complex. Mr. Lemarquis called for a paradigm shift in the humanitarian approach. “Humanitarian assistance saves lives, but it does not resolve the root causes of crises,” he said. “Peace must be at the center of our efforts. Solutions are primarily political. We must move beyond constant reaction and establish a culture of anticipation and prevention, while strengthening the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus for real, lasting impact.” He also praised the resilience and solidarity of Congolese communities, particularly host families who share scarce resources with displaced people, describing them as the country’s first line of humanitarian defense. He emphasized the central role of the government in facilitating humanitarian operations on the ground. Despite its scale and duration, the humanitarian crisis in the DRC remains one of the world’s most protracted and underfunded. The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, budgeted at USD 2.54 billion, was funded at only 22%, even as needs continued to rise. International funding shortages-compounded by recent reductions in humanitarian assistance from key donors-have had particularly severe consequences in eastern DRC. At the global level, the United Nations’ 2026 humanitarian plan targets 87 million people worldwide and requires USD 23 billion. While major pledges have been announced, humanitarian officials warn that without sustained and predictable financing, millions of vulnerable people in the DRC will remain without life-saving assistance.

Faits rapportés

Kinshasa, January 28, 2026 - Facing a severe funding shortfall, the humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced a major reprioritization of its 2026 response, targeting 7.3 million people-less than half of the nearly 15 million in critical need. The government and its humanitarian partners launched an urgent appeal on Wednesday for USD 1.4 billion to address the country’s most pressing humanitarian needs. The revised plan reflects a sharp reduction from 2025, when 11 million people were targeted. According to humanitarian officials, this shift represents a strict prioritization of populations facing the most immediate threats to survival, as the country grapples with ongoing armed conflict, mass displacement, climate shocks, and recurring epidemics. The impact of underfunding has already been severe. In 2025, reduced operational capacity led to the closure of more than 1,000 nutrition centers, leaving over 390,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition without essential care. An estimated 1.5 million people lost access to primary healthcare due to facility closures, medicine shortages, and weakened epidemic response. Monthly food assistance targets were reduced by up to 73%, exposing vulnerable communities to heightened hunger and deprivation. “The combination of immense needs and limited resources forces us to make extremely difficult, sometimes impossible, choices,” said Bruno Lemarquis, Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC. “We call for renewed and strengthened financial commitments to preserve lives, dignity, and prevent millions from being deprived of vital support.” The 2026 plan comes amid a deeply disrupted humanitarian environment, particularly in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, where intensified fighting since January 2025 has reshaped needs, disrupted supply chains, and imposed growing administrative and security constraints. Access to affected populations has become increasingly dangerous and complex. Mr. Lemarquis called for a paradigm shift in the humanitarian approach. “Humanitarian assistance saves lives, but it does not resolve the root causes of crises,” he said. “Peace must be at the center of our efforts. Solutions are primarily political. We must move beyond constant reaction and establish a culture of anticipation and prevention, while strengthening the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus for real, lasting impact.” He also praised the resilience and solidarity of Congolese communities, particularly host families who share scarce resources with displaced people, describing them as the country’s first line of humanitarian defense. He emphasized the central role of the government in facilitating humanitarian operations on the ground. Despite its scale and duration, the humanitarian crisis in the DRC remains one of the world’s most protracted and underfunded. The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, budgeted at USD 2.54 billion, was funded at only 22%, even as needs continued to rise. International funding shortages-compounded by recent reductions in humanitarian assistance from key donors-have had particularly severe consequences in eastern DRC. At the global level, the United Nations’ 2026 humanitarian plan targets 87 million people worldwide and requires USD 23 billion. While major pledges have been announced, humanitarian officials warn that without sustained and predictable financing, millions of vulnerable people in the DRC will remain without life-saving assistance.