U.S. Funding Suspension Hits Health Response in Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN News Says

The UN News service says the sudden suspension of U.S. funding has hit the health response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC), where a January analysis by OCHA warned of a “rápido colapso” of humanitarian capacities in several provinces.

“New York Times reporter Peter Goodman joins The Lead”

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It says humanitarian needs reached 2500 millones de dólares in 2025 to help about 11 millones de personas, but by 8 de enero de 2026 only 605 millones de dólares had been mobilized—“apenas una cuarta parte” of what was required.

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The same UN News report says the United States, described as the principal donor in 2024 with 920 millones de dólares (cerca del 66% del plan de respuesta humanitaria), reduced its contribution to unos 142 millones en 2025, a caída del 85%.

It adds that more than 1,5 millones de personas have lost direct access to essential care and that more than ten international organizations have been forced to reduce or stop activities.

The UN News account also links the funding shock to disruptions in malaria supplies and to weakened epidemic response capacities for cholera, measles, and mpox, especially in the east of the country.

The UN News report says the health cuts are “particularmente graves para las mujeres y las niñas,” with projects against gender-based violence reduced by half from more than 730 in 2024 to about 370 in 2025.

It says health coverage fell from about 152 zonas de salud to less de 100 in a year, and that in conflict areas, especially in Ituri, formal documentation and alert mechanisms for violations have disappeared.

Le Temps

The same report says survivors of sexual violence are left without medical care, psychosocial support, and legal protection as the humanitarian system contracts.

UN News also describes education impacts, saying resources fell by around 48% and that in 2025 the U.S. funding suspension led to the closure of 1178 centers for acute malnutrition in fifty health zones.

It concludes that in a country where 25 millones de personas are in food insecurity, the response is shrinking as needs grow, while it cites figures of 392.000 children with severe acute malnutrition and more than 1 millón with moderate acute malnutrition losing access to care.

UN France, via UNRIC, says drastic cuts in foreign aid funding are multiplying among major donors and that in the United States, USAID was dismantled and foreign aid funding was suspended for 90 days in January.

“It's no longer a slowdown, but a collapse”

Le Temps

It adds that by the end of June, less than 17% of the $46 billion needed to meet global humanitarian needs in 2025 had been received, citing OCHA, and it quotes a humanitarian official saying, “We are forced to triage to ensure human survival.”

The UNRIC piece says OCHA launched a highly urgent global appeal to help 114 million people and that health aid is expected to fall by almost 40% this year compared with just two years ago, describing it as “This is not a gradual shift, but a real cliff.”

It provides examples in Africa, saying in Kenya WFP food rations provided to 720,000 refugees declined since the start of the year and that in June they were only a fraction of what they were before.

In northeastern Nigeria, it says 1.3 million people are at risk of being denied food assistance and that 150 nutrition centers serving 300,000 children could close, with only 650,000 people expected to be aided in August before programs would have to be suspended.