Over 6 Million People Face Food Crisis in DR Congo: UN Official

Kinshasa (PNA/Xinhua) — Over six million people facing food crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) are in need of assistance, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday.

The OCHA statement cited the latest situation report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for December 2014 to June 2015.

The number of people facing severe food insecurity crisis has risen by about 520,000, the statement said, adding that majority of those affected are in the eastern regions of DR Congo which have been affected by armed violence.

The affected provinces include Katanga, Maniema, Oriental province and South Kivu. Djera locality in Equateur province is equally facing a severe food crisis due to challenges caused by the outbreak of Ebola virus.

In other provinces, animal diseases and those affecting crops as well as a general context of poverty have destabilized nutritional security of most households. (PNA/Xinhua) SCS/RSM