Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, World Source: World Food Programme Please refer to the attached file. This document provides a concise analysis of recent trends in external trade, the macroeconomic environ- ment, and the food security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a particular focus on the eastern provinces. It highlights the country s high dependence on food imports, the risks associated with external and internal shocks, and their impacts on household purchasing power and humanitarian [β¦] KEY HIGHLIGHTS High dependence on food imports, exposing the DRC to international geopolitical and logistical shocks . Persistent pressures on purchasing power, despite moderating inflation, due to rising fuel and transportation costs. Critical and rising humanitarian needs, with over 26.5 million people facing acute food insecurity out of an estimated population of 120 million, requiring increased humanitarian funding, including 9.9 million people in the eastern provinces (North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika). Ebola exacerbates household vulnerability in the DRC by combining mobility restrictions, reduced incomes, and rising prices.