The United Nations warns that the lack of humanitarian funding is endangering the lives of millions of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo). Many aid agencies have been forced to scale back their operations, which has disrupted critical services for those in desperate need. The UN humanitarian office is calling on the international community to take urgent action to address these severe funding gaps and "stave off a humanitarian tragedy."
“UN partners and teams on the ground are doing their best to maintain services for those affected, but access restrictions and severe funding shortages pose significant obstacles,” said UN spokesman Farhan Haq, briefing journalists at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday.
“Halfway through the year, our $2.54 billion response plan for the DRC is less than 13 percent funded, with about $321 million received to date.”
Humanitarian conditions in eastern DRC remain dire, with ongoing reports of fighting. Since early January, escalating conflict and intensified attacks by Rwanda-backed rebels from the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) in the provinces of North and South Kivu have displaced over 4 million people, caused more than 7,000 deaths, and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, straining already scarce resources.
The M23 rebel group is one of more than 130 armed groups operating primarily in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, vying for control of valuable mineral resources, including gold, diamonds, uranium, copper, coltan, and cobalt — key components in batteries used in electric cars, cell phones, and other electronics.
On Saturday, the DRC government and the M23 agreed to a declaration of principles intended to end the fighting, a significant step toward resolving the conflict in eastern Congo. Representatives of the government and the rebels signed the agreement in Qatar's capital, Doha, to pave the way for a peace deal expected to be finalized in August.
According to media reports, the parties in Doha also agreed to a ceasefire. This development follows DR Congo and Rwanda's signing of a peace agreement at the end of June; relations between the two countries have been strained for nearly three decades.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that ongoing violence in South Kivu and North Kivu continues to claim civilian lives and trigger new displacement.
In North Kivu, aid organizations in the Rutshuru and Lubero territories report that fighting between the M23 and other armed groups continued until Tuesday. As of earlier this week, eight civilians had reportedly been killed, and more than 42,000 people had fled the fighting.
"In South Kivu, heavy clashes between M23 and other armed groups have persisted since early July in several territories – including Walungu, Kabare, Fizi, Mwenga and Kalehe. Local partners say the fighting has displaced at least 37,000 people from their homes," UN spokesperson Haq said
"A humanitarian convoy coordinated by OCHA – which was primarily planned for today along the road between the provincial capital, Bukavu, and the city of Uvira – has been postponed due to a lack of necessary security guarantees for that route."
In the meantime, attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels have reportedly killed at least 65 civilians and injured dozens more in villages along the border between North Kivu and Ituri provinces, while many others remain missing. Significant displacement has been reported toward the territories of Beni and Mambasa.
“While precise figures are still being verified, our humanitarian partners stress that civilians urgently need humanitarian assistance – especially food, shelter, education and basic services,” Haq added.
In recent months, ADF rebels and other armed groups have taken advantage of the security vacuum created by the redeployment of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) to launch attacks that have killed hundreds of civilians.
Additionally, clashes have escalated between the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) and Zaïre armed groups in Ituri province. The human rights situation there is deteriorating as well, with widespread abuses against civilians, including summary executions.
On Friday, the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) reported that, in response to Tuesday's attacks against civilians north of Bunia in Ituri Province, UN peacekeepers had deployed joint patrols with the FARDC.
They also reportedly established a mobile operating base to protect civilians and mitigate the threat posed by armed groups. Elements of the Zaïre armed group affiliated with the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP), led by Thomas Lubanga, who is sanctioned by the International Criminal Court (ICC), carried out the attacks.
Meanwhile, MONUSCO police are assisting national security forces, including the FARDC and the Congolese National Police, in intensifying security measures in and around Bunia. The aim of this coordinated effort is to strengthen the protection of civilians and prevent the infiltration of armed groups operating on the outskirts of the provincial capital.
Renewed fighting in eastern DRC has led to a dramatic deterioration of the humanitarian situation and mass displacement, particularly in North and South Kivu provinces. Widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have been reported, including summary executions, indiscriminate attacks, sexual violence, and the recruitment of children.
According to UN officials, the conflict in the eastern region of the country has escalated to levels not seen in three decades. The worsening violence has exacerbated one of the world's largest and most underreported humanitarian crises, with more than 21 million people in need of assistance nationwide.
While violence has displaced millions within the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, the situation has also led some 142,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring countries, primarily Burundi and Uganda. Burundi has received approximately 67,000 refugees and asylum seekers, and Uganda has received about 42,000.
Prior to the 2025 crisis, the DRC had 6.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and hosted 520,000 refugees; there were also 1.1 million Congolese refugees abroad at the end of 2024.
Conflict, economic instability, and rising food prices are putting millions of Congolese at risk of a deepening food crisis. An estimated 27.7 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse). This includes approximately 3.9 million people experiencing emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4).
The hunger situation has particularly deteriorated in the four eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika. More than 10.3 million people in these provinces are facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, including 2.3 million who are experiencing emergency levels (IPC Phase 4).
The country is also plagued by major health emergencies, including measles, mpox, and cholera. Since the beginning of 2025, DR Congo has experienced a concerning rise in epidemics, especially measles and cholera.
These outbreaks are occurring against a backdrop of reduced humanitarian funding in the country and an already insufficient number of resources to contain these epidemics.
According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders), measles and cholera have been spreading across the country for months. By the beginning of July, there were over 36,000 suspected measles cases and 565 deaths in nearly all 26 provinces. Nearly 34,000 cases of cholera had been reported, resulting in 757 deaths.
Though DRC has experienced more severe epidemics in the past, the current situation is particularly complex and concerning due to the acute shortage of resources and vaccines to respond to them, coupled with logistical and security challenges in the eastern regions.
“The DRC is facing shortages of several vaccines, including measles and cholera. A shortage of measles vaccines for routine activities is also feared,” said Emmanuel Lampaert, MSF Representative in DRC, in a statement on Wednesday.
"Everywhere, our teams are facing the same situation. Everything is lacking. And outbreaks are multiplying".
MSF warns that insecurity and ongoing fighting in eastern DRC are also contributing to the spread of epidemics, making the delivery of vaccines and medical supplies extremely difficult.