Real-Time Review: Diaspora Humanitarian Engagement in Democratic Republic of the Congo (2025)

Executive summary

The eastern DR Congo remains one of the world’s greatest humanitarian crises 
despite a high concentration of responding actors and funding flows. Recognizing the 
imperative to harmonize these streams of action for greater impact, this RTR aimed 
to investigate humanitarian efforts led by Congolese diaspora actors in North and South Kivu, specifically in the period since January 2025, elaborating on their 
connection to broader systemic relief efforts.

Across contexts, diaspora remittances constitute major lifelines for household 
self-reliance, supporting children to go to school, promoting access to health services, 
ensuring basic food security, and sparking entrepreneurship.

The DR Congo government has attempted to leverage this diaspora attention, establishing a Vice-Ministry for Congolese Nationals Abroad within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.