Emergency Operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - World Food Programme 2010

The Orientale province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been destabilized since the 1990s by a succession of armed groups including the Lord’s Resistance Army from Uganda. This has contributed to a deteriorating food security situation and the DRC's rating on the 2008 Global Hunger Index being the highest in the world. An estimated 33 percent of children under five are underweight. General food distributions and emergency nutrition assistance contributes to saving lives by ensuring adequate food consumption. Canada’s contribution to the World Food Programme is helping to reduce global acute malnutrition rates of the people living in areas affected by armed conflict. The project is also helping to reduce malnutrition rates among children as well as pregnant and lactating women and other vulnerable groups.