DRC: WFP to Distribute More than 10 Million Dollars in Food Aid

April 8, 2024 Hour: 4:03 pm

On Monday, the World Food Program (WFP) representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Peter Musoko, announced the distribution of more than $10 million in food aid to families displaced by violence.

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Speaking to Agence Congolaise de Presse, the official said that the United Nations Humanitarian Air Services (Unhas) will provide support to those who are most vulnerable due to the fighting in the east of the country, which has displaced almost a million Congolese in a few months.

“We need to meet immediate needs and also lay the foundations for long-term development so that families have better access to healthy food,” he added.

The $10.4 million in aid comes from the Japanese government and, according to Musoko, comes at a critical time when more than six million Congolese are uprooted from their homes and livelihoods and 4.6 million children are in need of emergency assistance.

#ThankYouThursday to @Japon_RDCongo �� for its contributions of around US$ 10.4 million to provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to families displaced in eastern #DRCongo �� and investing in future generations by supporting @WFP school meals in Kasai and Kasai Oriental pic.twitter.com/hZH4tvBvig

— WFP DRC (@WFPDRC)
April 4, 2024

Some of the funds are specifically earmarked for school meals in Kasai and Kasai Oriental provinces, he said.

Over the next six months, WFP will need $548.5 million to sustain its operations in the DRC. The agency currently feeds 148,000 children in four provinces and plans to reach 600,000 this year.