Hostilities resume during harvest season in the volcanic soil region of Rutshuru

Normal rainfall at the start of the B agricultural season in the northeast and central-east zones helped ensure a timely start to the agricultural season, despite the downward trend in household participation due to multiple displacements. According to OCHA, almost 614,000 people have been newly displaced in these zones since March 2022. These people will not be eligible for the next harvest. On the other hand, in the unimodal zone of the southeast, the season's harvests are continuing and are estimated to be below normal.

The current upsurge in violence in Djugu territory in Ituri could exacerbate the already precarious humanitarian and nutritional situation in this far northern territory. Attacks on IDP camps by armed groups are continuing, claiming more victims among the displaced population and limiting humanitarian response, which is barely reaching 20 percent of the total targeted by the HRP. This situation will further contribute to even more difficult living conditions in Djugu over the next 4 months.

Prices of the main imported foodstuffs, notably imported rice and refined vegetable oil, continue to be volatile on local markets. In April 2022, an increase of 10 and 30 percent was observed on the various local markets. In the short and medium term, this situation could have an impact on the availability of these two products, thus reducing consumer purchasing power in a context where the substitute product (palm oil) is becoming scarce on the market, in the face of growing demand.

In May 2022, the food security situation is almost identical to that of the previous month, with areas of the northeast, notably the provinces of Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele and Tshopo, showing no consumption deficit and remaining in the Minimum phase (CPI Phase 1). On the other hand, the central-eastern part of the country (Kasai, Sankuru, Maniema, Tanganyika and part of Sud-Kivu) is in the stress phase (IPC Phase 2), with minimally adequate food consumption. Conflict zones (Ituri, North Kivu, the southern part of South Kivu and parts of Kasaï) are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), with food consumption deficits and acute malnutrition at above normal levels.