September 15, 2017

Situation 

• Although the Republic of the Congo (RoC), which is classified as a lower-middle-income country, has seen strong economic growth in recent years, an unequal distribution of wealth remains. In addition, the nation faces high poverty and malnutrition levels; according to the UN World Food Program (WFP), almost 50 percent of the population subsists under the national poverty line, and over 20 percent of all children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition. WFP also reports that domestic agricultural production covers less than a third of RoC’s food needs. RoC therefore imports large quantities of food, driving high food prices.  
• Since 2016, surging conflict in the Pool Department of RoC has prompted significant displacement, cutting off populations from their livelihoods and support systems. According to the Government of RoC and the UN, approximately 81,000 people had fled their homes as of May 2017, nearly a six-fold increase from the previous year. In addition, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that RoC hosts more than 43,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 
• Among internally displaced persons (IDPs) ages 6 to 59 months in southeastern RoC’s Pool and Bouenza departments, the global acute malnutrition (GAM) prevalence is 17.3 percent, exceeding the emergency threshold of 15 percent, according to a May 2017 survey conducted by the Government of RoC and the UN. In addition, more than half of IDP households surveyed were food-insecure.  

Response

• With support from USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (FFP), WFP is providing emergency food assistance to more than 11,500 food-insecure people, including IDPs and host communities, in the Pool and Bouenza departments of RoC. FFP’s contribution allows WFP to procure rice regionally, thereby facilitating the rapid delivery of life-saving aid to vulnerable Congolese populations.
• FFP support also enables WFP to provide emergency food assistance to refugees who are sheltering in RoC after fleeing conflict in CAR.

Food for Peace Contributions

Total Contributions:

Note: MT: Metric Ton; Food Security Situation information provided by WFP