The United Nations, along with its humanitarian partners and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has launched the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, requesting $1.4 billion to address the country’s escalating crisis.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced on Wednesday during a news briefing at the UN headquarters in New York. He emphasized that last year, the organization received less than a quarter of the $2.5 billion requested for 2025, highlighting the urgent need for funds to reach those most in need.
The DRC continues to suffer from one of the world’s longest-running and most neglected humanitarian crises, exacerbated by ongoing conflict, widespread displacement, climate-related disasters, and recurring epidemics.
Out of a population of 113 million, nearly 15 million people in the DRC require humanitarian assistance. Due to severe funding shortages, the plan aims to provide support to only 7.3 million people this year.
Dujarric pointed out that the lack of adequate funding in 2025 led to significant service reductions. “In 2025, 1,000 nutrition centers were forced to close, denying life-saving care to nearly 400,000 severely malnourished children,” he said. “Additionally, 1.5 million people lost access to primary healthcare due to the closure of health facilities, shortages of essential medicine, and a diminished capacity to respond to epidemics.”
Food assistance also suffered, with rations reduced by as much as 70% in the country’s eastern provinces.
Fighting in the northeastern region has further hindered humanitarian efforts, making it even more challenging to deliver assistance. Dujarric warned that without sufficient funding, this year’s response will fall far short of the scale required to meet the growing needs.
In addition to humanitarian aid, Dujarric provided an update on UN peacekeeping operations in the DRC. The UN peacekeepers facilitated the voluntary repatriation of 34 Rwandan nationals from Goma to Rwanda, at the request of Congolese authorities. The group included 15 former members of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) armed group and 19 of their family members. The repatriates were handed over to Rwandan authorities for reintegration support.
Since January 2026, the peacekeeping mission has seen a rise in voluntary surrenders by FDLR members, with 60 individuals, including 33 former combatants and 27 family members, repatriated so far. The mission continues to support Congolese authorities with the disarmament, resettlement, and repatriation of FDLR fighters, in line with its mandate.
The UN’s appeal underscores the dire need for immediate and robust support to address the deepening crisis in the DRC.
