Un calls for urgent donor support as drc humanitarian plan faces critical funding shortfall

The United Nations expresses profound concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation across the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Addressing the Security Council on Friday, June 26, 2026, James Swan, who serves as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DRC and head of MONUSCO, presented a stark assessment of the devastating humanitarian impact stemming from the ongoing conflict in the nation’s eastern provinces.

Millions of Congolese citizens continue to bear the brunt of this protracted crisis, a situation exacerbated by a notable decline in international humanitarian funding. Swan disclosed that the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, initiated in January, has secured only 53.3% of its required funds. He implored global partners to urgently provide the outstanding resources needed to address the escalating humanitarian demands within the DRC.

“The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains profoundly severe,” stated James Swan, head of MONUSCO. “Approximately 27 million individuals, representing over a quarter of the population, are grappling with acute food insecurity. The 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan specifically targets 7.3 million people for critical emergency assistance, requiring a budget of $1.4 billion. However, it is currently only 53.3% funded. While I commend donors for their contributions, I strongly urge them to release the entirety of the necessary funds to meet the dire and urgent needs across the DRC.”

These recent warnings from MONUSCO come amidst persistent hostilities in numerous areas and territories within the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in eastern DRC. Here, humanitarian requirements are continuously expanding, even as diplomatic initiatives strive for a lasting ceasefire and the implementation of various peace accords, often a critical point in Africa news.

Confronted with a severe funding shortfall, the humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of Congo is compelled to rigorously prioritize its aid efforts for 2026. It was against this backdrop that the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and humanitarian organizations jointly issued an urgent appeal for $1.4 billion on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, in Kinshasa, aimed at addressing the nation’s pressing humanitarian needs throughout the year.

Both the government and humanitarian agencies emphasized that these funds are vital to assist millions of Congolese men, women, and children trapped in one of the globe’s most enduring and overlooked humanitarian crises. Should adequate funding not materialize, the 2026 humanitarian intervention will be forced to narrow its focus to just 7.3 million individuals, despite nearly 15 million people requiring critical assistance and protection, a challenge for the entire continent press.

The preceding year, 2025, already demonstrated the tragic repercussions of insufficient funding. For instance, operational capacity reductions led to the closure of over 1,000 nutrition centers, leaving more than 390,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition without crucial care.

Furthermore, approximately 1.5 million individuals lost access to essential primary healthcare due to facility closures, critical medicine shortages, and diminished capacity for epidemic prevention and response. Monthly food assistance targets were slashed by as much as 73%, consequently exposing the most vulnerable populations to heightened risks of hunger and severe deprivation.