Reference Date: 05-February-2026

Cereal production affected by ongoing conflict and floods

Harvesting of the 2025 main maize crop was completed in November in bimodal rainfall northern provinces, while it is still underway in the central provinces and concluded in January 2026. The conflict in the eastern Kivu Region intensified at the end of January 2025 and resulted in widespread population displacement. Many farmers have abandoned their land, with severe disruption of cropping activities, a crucial basis for food security. The area planted with the 2025 main season maize crop is estimated to be below the five ‑ year average. Severe floods between April and September 2025 damaged cropland in Kinshasa Region and infrastructure in several provinces, further constraining the 2025 cereal production. Although insecurity is currently affecting mainly the eastern part of the country, it is likely that violence may spread into other areas, with a negative impact on cereal production, particularly on the 2025 secondary season maize crop.

Prices of maize and imported rice at high levels in 2025

High prices for local maize and imported rice remained elevated throughout 2025 due to the limited availability of these products in local markets. The food crisis and soaring food prices are part of a trend that has been gradually intensifying for several years, exacerbated by food insecurity and economic shocks since at least 2023, as well as by the limited availability of the Congolese Franc in the market.

Over 26 million people projected to be severely acute food insecure in 2026

According to the November 2025 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, about 24.8 million people (over 20 percent of the analysed population) were estimated to face acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 [Crisis] and above) between September and December 2025, including 3.2 million people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), primarily located in the territoriesof Djugu and Mambasa in Ituri Province and Masisi in North Kivu Province.The IPC projection for January to June 2026 indicates a deterioration of food security conditions, with 26.6 million people (22 percent of the population) expected to face IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above, an increase of 1.8 million people compared to the current period. Six additional territories are projected to shift into IPC Phase 4 (Emergency): Lubero and Walikale in North Kivu Province, Kalehe and Fizi in South Kivu Province and Kongolo and Moba in Tanganyika Province, in addition to Djugu, Mambasa and Masisi, which are already in emergency status during the current period.

The conflict continues to be a key driver of acute food insecurity, causing large-scale displacement and severe disruption of agricultural production and markets, with over 5.28 million people remaining internally displaced.

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:
FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .