Democratic Republic of Congo Key Message Update – Crisis Outcomes Will Persist in Conflict Zones Despite Season B Harvests, May 2024 – Democratic Republic of Congo

Key messages

• Violence in the DRC continues to intensify, with clashes between the different belligerents in Mai-Ndombé in the west and in North Kivu in the east of the country. In May, conflicts spread to new, previously stable areas such as Lubero and the coastal areas of Masisi and Kalehe, causing increased displacement. Over the past two months, nearly 700,000 people have been displaced, bringing the total number of displaced people to 7.2 million, amid underfunded humanitarian food assistance (OCHA). Many households in these areas have lost their livelihoods and, without secure access to their fields, are unlikely to have produced significant harvests in season A. The poor harvests of Season B, expected in June, significantly improves household food supplies, and conflict areas such as Masisi, Rutshuru and Kwamouth are likely to remain in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), with a proportion of displaced households in crisis. emergency (IPC Phase 4).
• Since April 2024, lowland flooding continues to occur in Tanganyika, Ituri and South Kivu following flooding of rivers and lakes which affected road infrastructure and reduced household access to livelihoods. For example, nearly 56,626 households in Tanganyika were displaced from March to May 2024 due to rising lake waters, and rail traffic between the different provinces of Kalemie was interrupted following the destruction of bridges. In South Kivu, in the commune of Baraka and its surroundings, nearly 35,000 people were affected by the floods. These areas are expected to face a deterioration in food availability, with limited access to food for households who have lost their sources of income. As a result, the number of households facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) impacts is likely to have increased in affected areas.
• In the center and west of the country, particularly in the equatorial and Kasai regions, floods have caused significant crop losses. This has reduced food supplies in affected areas and trade is now carried out by water due to damage to road infrastructure. As a result, the prices of basic foods from these areas remain high, exposing these territories to Stressed situations (IPC Phase 2). On the other hand, the provinces of Kongo Central and Kwango in the west and Haut-Lomami and Lualaba in the southeast did not experience significant shocks. In these areas, most households have been able to rely on their own production, since harvests have been sufficient for domestic consumption and the sale of surpluses, maintaining Minimal results (IPC Phase 1). Secure areas in the equatorial region, where households can feed themselves and also benefit from harvests staggered throughout the year, are experiencing Minimal (IPC Phase 1) results.
• The depreciation of the local currency continues to exacerbate price levels. According to the Central Bank of Congo (BCC), cumulative inflation stood at 5.1 percent as of May 10, 2024, compared to 7.2 percent for the corresponding period in 2023. Furthermore, the price of fuel continues to increase, leading to an increase in the cost of transport, goods and services. In fact, the price of a liter of fuel has increased on average by 13 percent compared to April 2024 and by around 23 percent compared to the same period last year. The price of local yellow corn in Kinshasa increased by 7 percent compared to May 2023. Prices of basic foods, especially imported products, also increased. For example, the price of imported rice was 22 percent higher than in May 2023 and 10.4 percent higher than the five-year average.