As the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to worsen, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and 107 partners are appealing for $781 million to continue providing urgent and life-saving support in 2025 to more than 1 million Congolese refugees and asylum-seekers in neighbouring countries and over 1 million people in local communities across seven countries.
The updated Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for the DRC situation highlights the alarming deterioration of conditions in eastern DRC, where the surge in armed violence has continued to displace communities at an unprecedented rate since January this year. Shrinking resources and recent funding cuts are severely disrupting the delivery of critical aid.
Neighbouring countries, who are generously receiving thousands of refugees daily, are struggling to keep up with the pace and scale of new arrivals. Since January, nearly 150,000 people have fled the DRC, surpassing the total number who fled during the whole of 2024. The majority, approximately 95 per cent, have fled eastern DRC and sought refuge in Burundi and Uganda while 8,000 have arrived in the Republic of the Congo fleeing intercommunal violence in western DRC.
Displacement inside the DRC has also reached unprecedented levels. By the end of 2024, an estimated 7.8 million people were internally displaced – the highest figure on record.
The human toll of the crisis is devastating – entire communities displaced, families torn apart, and civilians exposed to extreme human rights violations, including sexual abuse, arbitrary killings and forced recruitment. Women, children and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable, with many arriving across borders traumatized and in urgent need of protection and care.
“Once again, it is families, and particularly women and children, who are forced to run for their lives when violence prevails. Host communities continue to show remarkable generosity by welcoming them, but they cannot respond alone,” said Chansa Kapaya, UNHCR Regional Director for Southern Africa and the Regional Coordinator for the DRC refugee situation. “The international community must urgently step up and support the efforts of host governments and all humanitarian organizations to provide critical protection and assistance.”
Despite the commendable efforts of neighbouring countries to receive and assist new arrivals, transit and reception facilities are overcrowded, under-resourced and struggling to keep pace with the growing needs for safe shelter, water and sanitation, medical care and other essential services.
The DRC RRP appeal covers Angola, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia. The plan outlines immediate priorities, including emergency shelter, food, health care, and protection services, while also promoting social inclusion, resilience and lasting solutions for the displaced.
Despite mounting needs, funding for the DRC remains critically low. In 2024, UNHCR and partners received less than half of required funds, forcing humanitarian actors to make difficult trade-offs, including reducing food rations, scaling back essential services, and limiting support for extremely vulnerable groups.
The RRP complements the humanitarian response plan for the DRC itself, released in February 2025. Together they represent a coordinated effort to address both the immediate and long-term needs of one of the world’s most urgent yet overlooked crises.
“Without increased funding, frontline partners will face impossible choices, such as shutting down health services, cutting food assistance, or leaving survivors of sexual violence without support,” warned Kapaya. “When refugees are unable to access the support and protection they need in countries where they seek safety, they are often compelled to continue their perilous journey in search of dignity and hope elsewhere.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
