Kinshasa, October 12th, 2026 (CPA).- The Democratic Republic of the Congo has pleaded for a reinforcement of the international support in the face of a humanitarian crisis affecting 6.1 million internally displaced persons, during the 77th session of the UNHCR held on Monday in Geneva, according to a press release received by CPA. “Given the scale of the needs, the Congolese Government has called on the UNHCR and the international partners to expand their financial and technical support with a view to strengthening the protection of refugees, promoting the sustainable reintegration of returnees and providing support to host communities,” it is read in the statement from the Ministry in charge of the Interior.
“Referring to the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Interior, Jacquemain Shabani, has indicated that, according to figures as of August 31st, 2026, DRC had 6,100,000 internally displaced persons, whilst 1,324,528 Congolese refugees were living in various African countries,” the source has added. According to the source, the Deputy Prime Minister Shabani has reported that 601,675 refugees and asylum-seekers had been taken in on national territory, mainly from neighbouring countries, highlighting the scale of the protection and assistance needs the country faces. Addressing the security situation in the east of the country, he has condemned the humanitarian consequences of the clashes in Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu between the Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC) and M23-AFC fighters, whose support by the Rwandan army he has denounced.
Despite these challenges, DRC is continuing to implement the commitments made in December 2023 at the Global Refugee Forum, as part of the Global Compact on Refugees. Another point raised by the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Interior, according to the source, was the progress made in adopting a simplified procedure for determining refugee status by ministerial decree, the inclusion of refugees in the national service delivery system, and the revitalisation of tripartite consultation mechanisms with several countries, including Zambia, Burundi, Tanzania, the Central African Republic and Rwanda.
In the context of voluntary return, more than 74,000 repatriated nationals have already been received in their respective areas of return, according to information provided by the Ministry in charge of the Interior. This participation in the 77th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee has taken place against a backdrop in which DRC must simultaneously meet the needs of displaced populations, ensure the protection of refugees on its territory and continue efforts to reintegrate returnees into their communities of origin.