Humanitarian Snapshot – USAID/BHA in Central Africa, Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 – Democratic Republic of the Congo

Regional Profile

Conflict and recurring climatic shocks have resulted in disease outbreaks, high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition, population displacement, and protection violations across Central Africa. In FY 2023, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) provided more than $788 million in multi-sector assistance to respond to crises in seven countries across the region. USAID/BHA partners distributed food assistance and emergency response items to internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and host communities; facilitated access to basic health care and protection services for vulnerable populations; and provided relief commodities, shelter support, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance to populations affected by climatic shocks and conflict. USAID/BHA also provided more than $56 million to partners for standalone early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience (ER4) programs to address root causes of food insecurity and improve livelihoods in the DRC and Uganda.

Humanitarian Situation in FY 2023

Armed clashes in eastern DRC continued to drive displacement and high levels of humanitarian need, hinder humanitarian access, and drive protection violations, including unprecedented levels of gender-based violence. In CAR, flooding during the rainy season and armed violence resulted in widespread displacement while physical and security constraints limited aid workers’ access to populations in need. Additionally, an influx of people fleeing conflict in southern Chad and Sudan strained limited resources and exacerbated already high needs in CAR. In Burundi, RoC, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, refugees displaced by conflict in nearby countries continued to face acute food insecurity and relied on humanitarian food assistance to meet their daily needs.

USAID/BHA Priorities

USAID/BHA plans to expand its support to the region through a multi-sector approach focused on addressing the most acute needs and reducing vulnerabilities for populations affected by conflict and climate-induced shocks during FY 2024. USAID/BHA funding will prioritize support to partners operating in hard-to-reach areas and assistance to vulnerable populations—such as IDPs, refugees, and other conflict-affected groups—in the region.

USAID/BHA will continue to invest in Resilience Food Security Activities in the region in FY 2024. These multi-year, multi-sector programs prioritize establishing more stable and inclusive operating environments for future development, improving households’ economic and social well-being and nutritional outcomes in children ages five years and younger and pregnant and lactating women. Through ER4 programming, USAID/BHA also aims to strengthen resilience in flood-prone areas. Additionally, rapid response mechanisms in several countries will remain vital to USAID/BHA’s work in FY 2024, enabling the delivery of relief commodities, shelter, and WASH assistance to populations affected by climatic shocks and conflict.