Households face poor access to their livelihoods due to various conflicts

The current political and socio-economic crisis situtation in the country and the resurgence of clashes between armed groups and law enforcement agencies in July 2017 in various parts of South Kivu and North Kivu, resulted in the displacement of nearly 91,000 people. It is possible that these conflicts will continue and will keep households in these provinces with limited access to their livelihoods, in line with Crisis (IPC Phase 3) levels of food insecurity. 

The continuation of the « Kamwina N’sapu » conlicts in Central Kasai, in addition to the recent crisis in the Kasai region in late June, which resulted in the displacement of nearly 2,000 Luba households from Kamonia, Kamako, Mutshima, Nsumbula and other neighboring communities, who joined the 124,000 already displaced persons in Kananga, Central Kasai, point to a continuing poor situation over the next three months. The lean season is expected to be early and more severe than average which will result in most of the region continuing to be in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).

Despite sufficient food supplies from neighboring regions in the major markets of Mbuki-Mayi and Kananga in the Kassai region, poor households whose purchasing power has declined as a result of the depreciation of the Conoglese France and the American Dollar, will continue to depend on markets for basic foods that’s prices are continuing to rise higher than the same period last year. This will greatly limit access to food for poor households. 

The knowledge gained regarding the management of the fall armyworm in the DRC, following the exchange of experiences of other Central African countries, bodes well for new management techniques being used.  Integrated pest management (IPM) techniques are expected to be encouraged for maize farmers throughout the country who have limited means of inquiring about recommended pesticides.