Democratic Republic of the Congo Country Strategic Plan (2021–2025)

CSP approved at EB.2/2020 session

Revision 01 approved by the ED-DGFAO in November 2022

Revision 02 approved by the ED-DGFAO in July 2024

Food and nutrition security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is subject to the relentless impact of conflict, epidemics and climate events that have persisted in the country for decades, further compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of infrastructure and investment in agriculture, health and human capital development combine to impede progress towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 17. While there are several legal instruments and policies that promote food and nutrition security, poor coordination, weak national capacity and exponential population growth present serious obstacles to the achievement of zero hunger. Political instability and siloed sectoral responses to humanitarian and development needs have also affected results to date.

Fragile national disaster preparedness and weak capacity to respond to persistent conflict and climate change force poor individuals and households to adopt negative coping strategies that disproportionately affect women. Emergency and development response is complicated by the sheer size of the country and its limited roads, bridges and river transport systems. Food system constraints limit supply; markets affected by conflict are poorly served, and 70–80 armed groups are present in areas where WFP operates at any given time. Deep-rooted food insecurity and malnutrition are driven by poverty; diseases such as Ebola, measles and tuberculosis; and limited access to health services, education and livelihood opportunities that is underpinned by entrenched gender inequality. Added to this, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to further deepen the fragility of the country.

Through this country strategic plan, WFP will support the Government’s national priorities for achieving food and nutrition security, through key shifts that include a commitment to translating the triple-nexus approach into stronger partnerships that support peace and development outcomes. New opportunities presented through the socioeconomic response to COVID-19 are also captured.

The plan will allow WFP to work with the Government and partners to address governance and technical gaps to increase local production and consumption of nutritious food. Similarly, WFP will tackle the challenges that women and men in rural areas face every day due to their lack of access to land, markets and nutritious food and the risks posed by conflict and climate events.

WFP is committed to mainstreaming gender equality measures in all of its activities and has adopted a gender-transformative approach based on the knowledge that men and women, boys and girls experience poverty differently and face different barriers in accessing services and economic resources that impact their food security and nutritional status.

WFP interventions will be programmed and implemented in such a way that they are conflict sensitive, contributing to conflict transformation and peace building. WFP’s partnership with the Government and assistance to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be based on four mutually reinforcing strategic outcomes, which are also WFP corporate priorities:

➢ Strategic outcome 1: Conflict and crisis-affected men, women, boys, and girls from all ethnic groups are able to meet their food and nutrition requirements throughout the year.

➢ Strategic outcome 2: The human capital of conflict-affected and/or at-risk populations is equitably and inclusively protected and strengthened by 2024.

➢ Strategic outcome 3: Smallholder farmers and food value chain actors have improved livelihood opportunities, resilience, social cohesion and protection and make progress towards gender equality by 2024.

➢ Strategic outcome 4: Humanitarian and development partners have access to reliable air services and improved supply chain and other services during and in the aftermath of conflicts and crises.

This country strategic plan has been developed in consultation with the Government and other partners. It is aligned with the Government’s national strategic development plan approved in December 2019 and the 2020–2024 United Nations sustainable development cooperation framework. It contributes to efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 17 and to WFP Strategic Results 1, 3 and 8.