The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has partially resumed food assistance in parts of Goma, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) delivering vital nutrition supplies for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition in children aged 6 to 59 months as three weeks of fighting continues to worsen access to food for the most vulnerable.
A recent WFP market assessment found the price of staple foods in eastern DRC has sky-rocketed – making it more difficult for families to put food on the table. The price of maize flour has risen by nearly 67 percent, while salt has shot up by about 43 percent, and oil increased by up to 45 percent.
With major access routes blocked, and Goma International Airport a critical humanitarian hub closed, WFP’s priority is to resume operations fully as soon as it is safe to do so.
‘’The longer we are unable to give food and emergency assistance to families affected by the conflict, the greater and more dire their needs are,” said Peter Musoko, WFP’s Country Director and Representative in DRC. “I do not want to see children and mothers sink deeper into hunger and severe malnutrition. We need the violence to stop so we can resume our humanitarian activities. The most vulnerable people in DRC cannot afford to be overlooked during this crisis.’
The WFP-run UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operations – which provides humanitarians with critical access and support for life-saving work across the country -. urgently requires USD 33.1 million to sustain operations in the country this year. Without additional contributions, air operations could be suspended by the end of March 2025.
