WHO warns one million children face acute malnutrition in DR Congo

More than one million children are at risk of acute malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

It said this was the result of widespread, increasing, and also recurrent food insecurity in areas impacted by years of conflict.

In addition, a recent escalation in violence in the ongoing conflict in the east of the country between Congolese forces and the M23 militia has forced more people to flee their homes.

Describing the situation as “catastrophic”, the WHO said this is overwhelming water and sanitation systems, resulting in outbreaks of diseases, including cholera, measles, and mpox.

Elsewhere in the country, severe flooding and landslides, as well as long-simmering conflicts  have driven up people’s needs.

With over 25 million people affected, the WHO said the DRC has the world’s highest number of people in need of humanitarian aid, but remained severely underfunded.

It added that assistance is "severely constrained by military presence around displacement sites and health facilities, bureaucratic impediments, and roadblocks disrupting aid delivery".

The UN agency called for immediate action and “sustained and unimpeded access” to address basic needs, urging the parties to work together to restore peace.