U.S. Pledges $414 Million in Humanitarian Aid for Crisis-Stricken Congo

The U.S. has announced nearly $414 million in humanitarian aid for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where over 25 million people are in dire need of assistance. Jeffrey Prescott, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture, revealed that a significant portion of this funding will go to U.N. agencies and aid groups providing food, healthcare, nutrition, shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

The aid, which includes direct support for agricultural commodities from American farmers, brings the total U.S. aid for DRC since October to $838 million. Prescott, alongside U.S. Ambassador to the DRC Lucy Tamlyn, will announce the aid in Kinshasa.

The DRC's humanitarian crisis is intensified by ongoing conflicts, especially in the east where the army battles M23 insurgents. Renewed fighting has displaced over 1.7 million people, contributing to a record high of 7.2 million displaced individuals nationwide, according to U.N. estimates.

A U.N. aid appeal for $2.6 billion for the DRC this year has only met one-third of its goal. The World Health Organization recently warned that over one million Congolese children are at risk of acute malnutrition. Prescott hopes the U.S. aid will encourage other nations to increase their support.

Additionally, the U.S. will provide $10 million for health assistance and donate 50,000 mpox vaccines. The viral infection, which has caused around 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths in Congo this year, mostly affects children and can be fatal despite typically presenting mild symptoms.