The Democratic Republic of the Congo remains one of the most complex humanitarian crises in the world. As of 31 July, the country hosted 520,00 refugees and asylum-seekers, the majority of whom (74 per cent) live outside of refugee camps or settlements. Around 5.6 million people are internally displaced, accounting for the largest internally displaced persons (IDP) crisis in Africa and among the largest in the world.
In addition, more than one million refugees and asylum-seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are sheltered across the African continent1 . Wracked by decades of conflict, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also among the world’s five poorest countries. Around 76 per cent of the population live in poverty and 27 million people are food insecure.
Since a fresh surge in violence began in April 2022, tens of thousands of Congolese have been displaced as a result of armed groups active in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. In North Kivu alone, fighting between the Congolese Army and non-state armed groups forced more than 200,000 people to flee their homes.
For such a dire and long-running crisis, the humanitarian response is severely underfunded. As of 30 August, only 33 per cent of UNHCR’s requested budget of $225 million for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2022 had been funded, despite the massive needs.
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees