(MENAFN) The United Nations has warned that the humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is deteriorating due to ongoing fighting and insufficient aid, as stated by reports.

Cynthia Jones, the World Food Program’s country director for DR Congo, said that tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes, creating severe food shortages. She highlighted that UN aid operations face significant obstacles, particularly in areas controlled by M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda, and that funding gaps for humanitarian relief have worsened the crisis.

“Help could be provided more easily if air access were re-established, as two airports in M23 areas 'have been closed basically since the end of January,'” Jones said, stressing the urgent need for a humanitarian air corridor.

The alert follows a UN-backed report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which shows nearly 25 million people in DR Congo are experiencing high levels of food insecurity.

Jones explained the human toll: "This means what for families? It means that they're skipping their meals, depleting all of their household assets. They're selling off their animals."

She emphasized that the WFP can currently assist only a small fraction of those in need, calling for $350 million to provide emergency food and nutrition support over the next six months.

Without additional funding, she warned, aid would have to be cut to 300,000 people, representing only 10% of the three million in urgent need.

Although the government and M23 rebels signed a Declaration of Principles ceasefire in Doha in July, clashes continue, with each side accusing the other of violations. The government reports nearly seven million internally displaced people, while M23 claimed last week that "there is no longer any humanitarian emergency" in areas under their control, asserting that all displaced persons have returned home.

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