UN: 27.3 million people suffering from acute hunger in DRC

Context: The UN agencies said conflict, an economic slump and the coronavirus pandemic are key causes of hunger in the DRC.

• Nearly seven million people are suffering from emergency levels of acute hunger.
• Those displaced by natural disasters and war are the most affected populations in the country.

What they're saying: "This country should be able to feed its population and export a surplus. We cannot have children going to bed hungry and families skipping meals for an entire day," said Peter Musoko, the World Food Programme representative in DRC.

• "The recurring conflicts in eastern DRC and the suffering they bring remain of great concern," said Aristide Ongone Obame, a Food and Agriculture Organization representative in DRC.
• "We need to urgently focus on growing food where it is needed most, and on keeping people's sustenance-giving animals alive. The main agricultural season is around the corner and there is no time to waste," Obame added.