The United Methodist Bishop in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabriel Yemba Unda has encouraged church members to engage in agricultural efforts to address famine in the country.
“All people, United Methodists and non-United Methodists alike need to understand that this is a crucial moment. We must embark, without wasting time, in agriculture in order to produce more food and fight famine,” he said.
Elie Etako, who works for the church’s East Congo Development Bureau, said the field cultivated by young people during the last farming season made it possible to harvest more than 3 500 tonnes of groundnuts.
The maize crop did not fare as well, but the harvest for cassava extends from November through December.
In DRC, millions of people have been affected by famine aggravated by conflict in some areas and the Covid-19 pandemic.
The United Nations World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation report that the number of people affected by high acute food insecurity in the DRC is estimated at 27 million, or one in three people.
This includes nearly 7 million people facing emergency levels of acute hunger.
“For the first time, we were able to analyze the vast majority of the population, which helped us get closer to the true picture of the staggering scale of food insecurity in the DRC,” Peter Musoko, representative for the World Food Programme (WFP) in the country, said.
Aristide Obame, Food and Agriculture Organisation representative (FAO) in the DRC considers social and political stability key to strengthening food security.
“The recurrent conflicts in eastern DRC and the suffering they cause remain a serious concern,” he said. “Social and political stability is essential to strengthen food security and the resilience of vulnerable populations. We urgently need to focus on producing food where it is needed most. The main agricultural season is approaching, and there is no time to lose.”
Unda said neighboring areas not yet affected by insecurity should redouble their efforts in agriculture to produce even more food.
“The surplus of agricultural production in peaceful areas will have to be exported to the provinces affected by insecurity caused by armed groups,” Unda said.
Early year, the United Methodist Board approved US$3.5 million to help realise the late Bishop John K. Yambasu’s dream of making The United Methodist Church in Africa self-sufficient through agriculture.
During its fall meeting, board members approved another nearly US$1.1 million for the Yambasu agriculture initiative.
Nico Ndomba, who teaches at Kindu Methodist University, said the DRC has millions of acres of arable land just waiting to be cultivated.
“In Congo, you don’t need chemical fertilizers to get the yield,” Ndomba said.
However, Etako noted, The United Methodist Church in eastern Congo does not have its own land to cultivate the fields.
As part of the new efforts, Edmund Makowa will coordinate the agriculture department. A Global Ministries missionary, Makowa will serve as a resource person for agriculture and food security issues in eastern Congo.
