More than 28 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are not getting enough to eat, and the number is expected to tick up in the coming months, according to the latest alert from the IPC global food security monitor. The DRC continues to confront a severe food security crisis driven by persistent conflict in the east, widespread displacement, an expanding Ebola outbreak, economic shocks and the potential impacts of the El Niño weather pattern. The alert covers the period from September 2026 through June 2027. It was published against the backdrop of a record Ebola outbreak that is about to enter a sixth month, with more than 10,000 cases as of this week. The IPC is a UN-backed platform that uses a five-phase scale to classify the severity of food insecurity, with level 5 being famine.
The Ebola crisis first emerged in Ituri province in the volatile eastern region, where armed groups have terrorized the population for decades. It has now spread to eight provinces nationwide. Roughly 28.8 million people, or 23 percent of the population analyzed, are forecast to experience high levels of acute food insecurity at IPC Phase 3 or above through December. More than 3.6 million people, or three percent, are facing emergency conditions at IPC Phase 4. Those most affected include displaced persons, returnees, refugees and poor households.
Conditions have deteriorated more markedly in the northeastern and eastern provinces, even though the national proportion of the population in Phase 3 or above is only marginally higher than in the previous analysis. North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri remain the hardest-hit provinces, with 10.4 million people in Phase 3 or above. Four territories within them — Djugu, Fizi, Shabunda and Walungu — are classified in Phase 4. The alert noted that conflict and violence continue to drive displacement, disrupt livelihoods and restrict access to food and markets. Millions of people are left with only limited means to guard against hunger.
“A rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak, recurrent disease epidemics, rising food and fuel prices, and the impacts of floods and other climate shocks are compounding vulnerabilities,” the alert said.
The IPC expects food security to worsen slightly from January to June. Some 30.3 million people are projected to face Phase 3 or above during that period. Among them, 4.2 million are likely to face Phase 4. The projected increase will be driven by continued conflict and displacement, the spread of Ebola, and the anticipated impacts of El Niño, including flooding that could disrupt agricultural production and market access.
Other factors contributing to the worsening outlook include rising food, fuel and agricultural input prices, along with declining humanitarian assistance. The alert underscores the compounding nature of the crisis, where health, conflict and climate pressures intersect. Displaced populations and vulnerable households remain at the center of the emergency. The IPC assessment projects continuing deterioration through mid-2027. Humanitarian needs across the DRC are set to remain substantial over the months ahead.