Food assistance to conflict-affected populations in the Kasais region

This operation has been revised as per Budget Revision 01.

The conflict in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has led to large-scale displacement and a major humanitarian emergency. In response to this crisis, Emergency Operation 201092 will provide life-saving food assistance to conflict-affected populations in Kasai and Kasai Central provinces.

The deterioration of the conflict in the Kasai region has resulted in increasingly violent acts against civilians by all parties to the conflict and to successive waves of displacement.  More than 1.3 million people have been internally displaced and more than 30,000 refugees have fled across the border into Angola. Furthermore, in Kasai and Kasai Central provinces, nearly 1.9 million people are estimated to be experiencing an acute food security crisis or to have crossed emergency food security thresholds (IPC phases 3 and 4). Despite the magnitude of the crisis, limited humanitarian access and extreme insecurity have proved to be major challenges to the provision of humanitarian assistance. 

WFP assistance will be prioritized in Kasai and Kasai Central, as these two provinces host more than 85 percent of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region and include 22 health zones in IPC phases 3 and 4. Assistance will be provided in Tshikapa, Kananga, Dibaya and Luiza districts and will target urban and peri-urban areas, as well as accessible rural zones. WFP will expand its assistance to other districts and provinces as security conditions and humanitarian access improve and resources are made available. WFP will advocate for other actors and stakeholders to address the food and nutrition needs of populations not directly covered by this EMOP.

WFP will respond to the needs and vulnerabilities of conflict-affected people by providing general food distributions (GFD), as well as nutritional interventions targeting children 6-59 months, pregnant and lactating women and girls, and people living with HIV and tuberculosis. WFP is undertaking additional food security and multi-sectoral assessments as more areas become accessible to refine targeting and expand areas of coverage. Based on market assessments, WFP will consider progressively shifting a portion of the caseload to cash-based transfers.

This emergency operation is in line with the DRC Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017-2019 and the OCHA-led Flash Appeal for the Kasai Region. WFP co-leads the Food Security Cluster with FAO and leads the Logistics Cluster. It also actively participates in the Nutrition Cluster led by UNICEF, the Protection Cluster led by UNHCR and the Rapid Response to Movement of Population Steering Committee. WFP food assistance will be coordinated with the activities of FAO, UNICEF and relevant UN and NGO partners. 

This operation will prioritize actions aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 on achieving zero hunger, and SDG 17 on partnering to support implementation of the SDGs. The objective of this EMOP is to ensure that vulnerable conflict-affected populations in Kasai and Kasai Central provinces are able to meet their basic food and nutrition requirements. 

This EMOP 201092 succeeds IR EMOP 201089 and will cover the food needs of conflict-displaced populations from September 2017 to December 2017. The project is in line with Strategic Objectives 1 and 2 of WFP's Strategic Plan (2017-2021). It seeks to ensure that everyone has access to food and no one suffers from malnutrition.