A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where more than 26 million people are in urgent need of food aid, according to a joint warning from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The crisis, described as one of the world’s largest humanitarian operations, is being stretched to breaking point by a severe funding shortage.

The UN agencies require a combined $476 million through 2026 to maintain food and nutrition programs and support agricultural recovery.

The primary drivers of the crisis are ongoing violence and widespread displacement across the eastern provinces, which have pushed millions into severe hunger.

Insecurity, intensified by the resurgence of the M23 rebel group and over 100 armed factions, is forcing farmers off their land and hindering humanitarian access.

Compounding the situation, nearly half of all Congolese children under the age of five are suffering from malnutrition.

Source : Business Insider Africa