DRC: nearly 25 million people currently need humanitarian aid

Severe floods and landslides, as well as long-running conflicts in other parts of the country, have worsened needs and some 25 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the WHO. Children are particularly vulnerable, with more than a million at risk of acute malnutrition if immediate action is not taken.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the intensification of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo has pushed millions of people to their homes. So more than a million children are at risk of acute malnutrition if no immediate action is taken.

After more than two years, the conflict between Congolese forces and the M23 militia in the eastern regions of the country is worsening; which caused the flight of a growing number of people, including 2.7 million displaced in North Kivu alone.

According to the WHO, natural disasters such as floods and landslides, as well as long-standing conflicts in other parts of the country, have worsened the needs. However, some 25 million people are currently in need of humanitarian aid.

The WHO reports that humanitarian access has been “severely limited by the military presence around (displacement) sites, bureaucratic obstacles and roadblocks that disrupt the delivery of aid.”

Hundreds of thousands of children already suffer from acute malnutrition, making them more vulnerable to infections and disease and requiring sustained treatment.