DRC conflict: Food prices skyrocket in Goma as conflict blocks food supplies

Goma, February 3 – Hundreds of thousands of people in Goma could be pushed into severe hunger as a result of rising food prices and displacement, ActionAid warned, as the cost of essentials like flour and oil has more than doubled, putting basic nutrition out of reach for many.  

ActionAid staff in Goma reported price hikes of between 18 and 160 per cent since January 25 on goods such as flour, beans and oil. The organisation warned that soaring costs are forcing families to go without meals, putting hundreds of thousands at risk of hunger and malnutrition.

 “Everything has become expensive” said ActionAid’s community volunteer in Goma, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his safety. “We were paying $20 for a bucket of rice, and now it’s at least $23. The big drinking water bottles have also doubled in price from $1 to $2.” 

“During the fighting, the prices doubled – things you could buy for $2 were suddenly costing $6 because food wasn’t getting in. Now prices have dropped a bit, but they are still too high for most people,” he said.  

“We have no income - people can’t go to work because of the conflict, so getting money is difficult. Everyone is broke. Families who were living off $5 a day are now surviving on $2. That means if you were eating three times a day, now you can only eat once. We have to make sure we keep enough stock of food because we don’t know how long this war is going to go on.” 

“Food is available in the markets now, but the worry is that in a week or two we won’t have any money left to buy it. We don’t know how we’re going to survive if we can't go back to work.” 

More than 90 per cent of Goma’s food supplies come from surrounding regions such as Masisi, Rutshuru, Lubero, Beni and Nyiragongo. Armed clashes have cut off most of the agricultural roads from these regions, leading to severe shortages and price hikes.  

Around a quarter of DRC’s population – 25.5 million people – are facing crisis levels of hunger or worse. This includes 3.3 million people who are just one step away from famine.  

In Goma, hundreds of thousands of displaced people rely on humanitarian aid, but the escalating violence has forced most organisations to suspend operations, leaving families without food, water and other essentials.  

ActionAid warned that a deepening hunger crisis could have catastrophic impacts on women and girls, particularly those in displacement camps with little or no income, who are at greater risk of exploitation and abuse such as being forced into sex work to survive.  

Yakubu Mohammed Saani, Country Director for ActionAid in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said: 

“The spike in prices will push food in Goma’s markets out of reach for many families, particularly those who have been displaced from their homes and are living on next to nothing. In a region already racked with hunger and malnutrition, it's a recipe for disaster. 

“We urgently need to get aid in – and fast. But right now, aid efforts are being blocked. We call on all parties to the conflict to allow safe, unhindered access for humanitarian organisations so we can get life-saving supplies – food, medicine and shelter – to those who need it. The international community must also act urgently to scale up its support for the millions of people in need in the DRC.”  

Notes to editors  

*Anecdotal prices collected by ActionAid staff in three Goma markets (Virunga, Lenine and Kituku) on 31 January. 

USD $1 = FC2,900