Caritas warns 21M Congolese face death amid 60% aid cuts; urges Paris summit to fund local NGOs, save lives from malaria, hunger in DRC crisis.
Newsroom (04/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church’s global development arm, has called for immediate international intervention to address a “worsening funding crisis” in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where more than 21 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance.
In a statement issued October 30, ahead of the Paris Conference for Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region—co-chaired by France and Togo, the mediator for the eastern DRC conflict—Caritas warned that the United Nations’ revised Humanitarian Response Plan targets only 6.8 million of those in need.
The funding shortfall is also jeopardizing aid for Congolese refugees fleeing to Burundi and Uganda, exacerbating tensions between displaced populations and host communities, the organization said.
“The Church in DRC is struggling to provide essential services,” Caritas stated, noting that international funding for health, food security, and other critical programs has plummeted by approximately 60% since the start of the year.
Caritas DRC and its diocesan partners now face critical shortages of medicines for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria—conditions that have seen significant progress in recent years but are now at risk of reversal. The agency warned that preventable deaths from malaria, obstetric complications, and infectious diseases are rising as a direct result.
“Without renewed and strengthened support, Caritas and the local Catholic Church will no longer be able to adequately respond to the growing needs and save lives,” the statement read. It emphasized that global aid cuts have disproportionately impacted local NGOs compared to larger international organizations.
Alistair Dutton, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, described the Paris Conference as “a clarion call for solidarity with the people of the DR Congo and surrounding countries.”
“It is a stark reminder of the deaths and suffering that are being created in countless humanitarian crises by these short-sighted, selfish cuts,” Dutton said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo remains one of Africa’s largest sources of refugees. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the DRC was the origin of the continent’s second-largest refugee population by 2020, with over 900,000 Congolese living in exile—primarily in Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, and South Africa. As of early 2025, Uganda alone hosted approximately 487,000 Congolese refugees.
Caritas welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to convene the October 30 conference and urged donors to prioritize local actors in any new funding commitments.
“We call on France and other donors to ensure that all pledges strengthen local aid efforts in the DRC—whether by faith-based organizations like Caritas Congo, women’s groups, youth networks, or other community actors,” the statement said.
Abbé Edouard Makimba, Executive Secretary of Caritas Congo, issued a direct appeal to conference participants: “Reducing aid today means condemning millions of Congolese to hunger, disease, and avoidable death.”
Despite operating in high-risk areas, Makimba affirmed his organization’s unwavering commitment: “We have not left the DRC and we will not do so. We risk our lives every day to bring aid and protection to our communities affected by this crisis. We urge the decision-makers gathered in Paris: see us, and support us.”
Caritas acknowledged contributions from its global confederation to support local Church efforts but stressed that these funds fall far short of what is required. The agency also highlighted the “less visible but no less important” crisis in western DRC, where populations face equally devastating impacts on basic needs.
As the Paris Conference concluded, Caritas reiterated its plea for sustained, locally led humanitarian action to prevent further loss of life in one of the world’s most protracted crises.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Africa
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