EU donates €81.2m aid for eastern DRC crisis as Lahbib visits region

The European Union says it is mobilising €81.2 million in emergency humanitarian funding for people affected by the escalating conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), alongside a regional push for safer humanitarian access.

According to initial reports by Radio Okapi, the package is aimed at vulnerable populations in the Great Lakes region, including people inside DRC, Congolese refugees in neighbouring countries, and fragile host communities particularly in Burundi as displacement and shortages strain food, water and shelter.

A key next step highlighted in the reporting is the diplomatic effort to unlock humanitarian access. Radio Okapi reports that EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib is travelling in DRC, Burundi and Rwanda, with the stated goal of engaging “all parties” to help open safe corridors for aid deliveries, including in areas controlled by armed groups.

The European Commission’s humanitarian aid department (DG ECHO) says the EU funding is designed to deliver life-saving support such as food assistance, emergency health and nutrition services, water and sanitation support, shelter for displaced families, and protection services, including child protection and care for survivors of violence.

It is reported that Hadja Lahbib’s itinerary includes Kinshasa, followed by Burundi (18–19 February) with a planned visit to Busuma refugee camp, before concluding in Kigali (20 February), citing comments carried by the Belgian news agency Belga.