Brief World News: Conflict in DR Congo may lead to catastrophe, progress on plastics treaty, enforced disappearances increase before Venezuela election

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has issued a dire warning, calling for greater international support for the Congolese people to prevent a potential catastrophe in the country and the region. The ongoing conflicts in the restive eastern region have led to increased levels of gender-based violence, displacement, and hunger as multiple armed groups battle for control.

In the past few months alone, over 700,000 people have been forced from their homes, bringing the total number of forcibly displaced individuals to a staggering 7.2 million – an all-time high. Despite the urgent need for aid, the existing Humanitarian Response Plan is severely underfunded, with only 16 percent of the required $2.6 billion received.

With limited resources, humanitarian organizations are struggling to assist civilians, leaving vulnerable populations, especially women and girls, at risk of sexual violence. Children are also in danger of being abducted, killed, or recruited into armed groups. Additionally, over a quarter of the DRC’s population, more than 25 million people, are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, with diseases like cholera and measles spreading rapidly due to a deteriorating health sector.

The IASC emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of the crisis in the DRC, including conflict, natural resource exploitation, illicit financial flows, gender inequality, and development deficits. Without immediate and substantial international support, the situation in the DRC could worsen, leading to a humanitarian disaster of unprecedented proportions.