United Nations, in collaboration with humanitarian partners and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has launched the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, appealing for $1.4 billion to support millions affected by the country’s worsening crisis.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric announced the appeal on Wednesday during a briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, warning that chronic underfunding continues to limit life-saving assistance in one of the world’s most neglected humanitarian emergencies.
According to the UN, nearly 15 million people out of the DRC’s estimated 113 million population require humanitarian support. However, due to severe funding shortages, aid agencies plan to reach only 7.3 million people in 2026.
Dujarric revealed that less than 25 per cent of the $2.5 billion requested for 2025 was received, leading to widespread service disruptions. As a result, 1,000 nutrition centres were shut down, cutting off treatment for nearly 400,000 severely malnourished children.
READ ALSO
- Governor Sanwo-Olu Welcomes Kai Cenat in Lagos
- Nigeria Launches First Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapy Trial
- Israel Charges 12 Smugglers of Goods in Wartime
He added that 1.5 million people lost access to primary healthcare due to facility closures, medicine shortages, and weakened epidemic response, while food rations were reduced by up to 70 per cent in parts of eastern DRC.
Ongoing fighting in the northeast has further hindered humanitarian operations, prompting the UN to warn that the 2026 response will fall short without urgent funding support.
On security efforts, Dujarric said UN peacekeepers facilitated the voluntary repatriation of 34 Rwandan nationals from Goma, including 15 former FDLR combatants, as part of broader disarmament and reintegration efforts. Since January 2026, 60 individuals have been repatriated under the programme.
About the Author
