Need for food aid rising rapidly in DRC

As the number of displaced people across North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rises to more than 260,000, the need for urgent food aid is rising rapidly, the World Food Program (WFP) said Friday. WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs told a press briefing that an assessment was ongoing in the 31 United Nations refugee camps in North Kivu to identify the most vulnerable families. The UN agency will continue providing food assistance to internally-displaced people in DRC through cash and vouchers in North Kivu from early November, Byrs said. It is seeking 66.3 million U.S. dollars to meet the needs of its emergency food and cash voucher program, according to Byrs. Fighting erupted between government forces and the M23 rebel movement in North Kivu in April, forcing many people to flee their homes.