The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed an additional US$1.5 million from the Government of Japan as part of its emergency support to ongoing food assistance activities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The funding, which comes on top of an initial contribution of US$ 6.5 million, will help WFP reach nearly 110,000 displaced people in total.
“WFP is extremely grateful to the government of Japan for their unwavering support to our operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” said Peter Musoko, WFP Country Director in the DRC. “This contribution will enable us to continue providing life-saving assistance to those who need it the most and help alleviate the suffering of those who are affected by the ongoing crisis.”
The humanitarian situation in DRC remains dire. In the eastern part of the country, armed clashes have resulted in massive displacement, with thousands of families fleeing to camps around Goma. The crisis has left more than 1.1 million people in need of food support across North Kivu, Ituri, and South Kivu.
“Japan is very much concerned about the food security situation due to the worsening security crisis in the eastern DRC and we hope that this additional emergency assistance will help WFP reach more people in need of food,” said Minami Hiro, Ambassador of Japan in DRC. “Japan appreciates WFP and its staff for their tireless efforts for humanitarian assistance and will continue to cooperate with WFP to address the food security issues in DRC,” he added.
Japan is a long-standing partner of WFP, regularly providing important funds and technical support. For 2023 alone, the Government of Japan has contributed US$8 million towards WFP’s activities in the DRC.
