A woman and a child at an Action Against Hunger project in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered decades of armed conflicts, violence, political tensions, population displacements, as well as epidemics such as Ebola and cholera, causing a severe humanitarian crisis in the country.

Years of bad governance and armed conflicts, particularly in the eastern provinces have left the country facing extreme poverty.

These factors have resulted in major population displacements, a lack of basic services and poor infrastructures. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is in the middle of a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of vulnerable people in need of humanitarian assistance. With Measles, Ebola and cholera epidemics already worsening the situation, DRC is now dealing with the latest threat of Covid-19, which is spreading through the country.

Country facts

  • 84.1m

    DRC has a population of 84.1 million people.

  • 179

    The DRC is ranked 179th out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index.

  • 15.6m

    In the DRC, 15.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Action Against Hunger’s work in the DRC

We continue to respond to the nutritional needs of vulnerable communities in the country. Our emergency nutritional programme can deploy response teams and conduct nutrition surveys anywhere in DRC, meaning we can provide food to vulnerable families. We’ve responded to the acute humanitarian crisis in Djugu territory with an integrated nutrition and health approach, mental health and care practices, and WaSH and food aid projects.

We’ve implemented Ebola infection control and protection activities in Kinshasa and in Ituri and responded to floods in the South Libenge province. To address the causes of undernutrition, we’re implementing a longer term multi-sectoral intervention in Kasai and in Kasai central.

We continue to monitor nutritional resilience in the province of Kwango to better understand the determining factors for malnutrition in the region, the behavioural barriers of communities and the specific vulnerabilities associated with gender.

Our reach

  • 1.2m

    We reached more than 1,263,514 people through our programmes in the DRC in 2019.

  • 1997

    We started working in the DRC in 1997.

  • 472

    We have 472 staff based in Kinshasa, Kasai, Kasai Central, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, Tshopo, Kwango, Kwilu, Haut Lomamiaaa.

Our response to Covid-19 in the DRC

To meet the growing needs as the virus spreads in DRC, we’re:

  • supporting infection prevention and control activities in 65 health centres in the capital city of Kinshasa
  • strengthening access to clean water
  • training caregivers in the country
  • spreading messages about the coronavirus and how to prevent its spread
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