Why Millions of People in Eastern Congo Face Starvation

Summary

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WSJ What’s News – "Why Millions of People in Eastern Congo Face Starvation"

Date: February 17, 2026
Host: Alex Osola
Featured Guest: Nicholas Bariyo (WSJ Reporter, live from Kampala)

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into the escalating hunger crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where over 10 million people are at risk of starvation. The podcast explores how the rebel group M23’s control of the region, backed by Rwandan interests, has led to food shortages, harsh restrictions on trade and farming, and little progress from international diplomatic efforts. The segment blends on-the-ground reporting with broader geopolitical context.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Background: Widespread Hunger in Eastern Congo

• Summary:
  • Over 10 million people in eastern DRC face critical food shortages.
  • Rebel group M23, supported by Rwanda, seized the city of Goma last year.
  • M23’s efforts to entrench itself as regional government have caused a humanitarian catastrophe.
• Key Quote:
  • (08:41) “Aid agencies are warning that some people may starve to death, especially vulnerable people, mothers and young children and the sick.” — Nicholas Bariyo

2. M23’s Restrictions and Impact on Food Imports

• Summary:
  • M23 has established checkpoints and tightly controls border crossings.
  • They prioritize imports from Rwanda or its allies.
  • Imports from other countries face severe delays, sometimes until perishable food spoils.
• Notable Quote:
  • (07:20) “They control the border crossings, and in this case, they give priority to imports that come from Rwanda or Rwandan allies... One trader told me that he couldn't get his container cleared because he had gotten it from Kenya. And M23 questioned it and held it for several weeks until the food got rotten.” — Nicholas Bariyo

3. Disruption of Local Farming and Empty Markets

• Summary:
  • M23 has evicted local farmers, halting agricultural production.
  • Farming activities and harvests are disrupted, further diminishing food supply.
  • Supermarkets, food stores, and markets are largely empty, and remaining products are unaffordable.
• Notable Segment:
  • (08:17)
    • Host: “If you're a resident of Goma, who's going to the grocery store, what does it look like on the shelves there?”
    • Nicholas Bariyo: “Usually most of the supermarket shelves are empty. The food stores are closed or empty... Some of the commodities are really so scarce... Those that are available are very, very expensive and unaffordable.”

4. International Response and Blocked Relief Efforts

• Summary:
  • UN and Western governments pressure M23 for a ceasefire, but with little effect.
  • Calls to reopen Goma International Airport (crucial for aid) have been ignored.
  • Aid organizations warn of imminent starvation among the most at-risk populations.
• Quote:
  • (08:46) “The UN and Western governments have been pushing M23 to a ceasefire, but these have really done little to change the situation on the ground. The UN is also pushing for the reopening of Goma International Airport... The rebels so far have not allowed its reopening, and aid agencies are warning that some people may starve to death...” — Nicholas Bariyo

5. Lack of Response from M23 and Rwanda

• Host Alex Osola notes at the conclusion:
  • (09:22) “M23 and the Rwandan government didn’t respond to requests for comment.”

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• (07:20) “They control the border crossings... One trader told me that he couldn't get his container cleared because he had gotten it from Kenya. And M23 questioned it and held it for several weeks until the food got rotten.” — Nicholas Bariyo
• (08:17) “Usually most of the supermarket shelves are empty. The food stores are closed or empty. The markets are also empty. Some of the commodities are really so scarce, especially those that are imported, like rice, like cooking oil. So most of the traders have nothing to sell. Those that are available are very, very expensive and unaffordable.” — Nicholas Bariyo
• (08:46) “The UN and Western governments have been pushing M23 to a ceasefire, but these have really done little to change the situation on the ground.” — Nicholas Bariyo

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 07:20 – M23’s trade restrictions and their direct consequences on food imports
• 07:59 – Disruption to local farming by M23
• 08:17 – What residents see in grocery stores and markets
• 08:46 – International diplomatic efforts and barriers to aid

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Episode Takeaways

• Eastern DRC faces a rapidly worsening food crisis largely driven by the political and military ambitions of the M23 rebel group.
• M23’s border controls and bias for Rwandan imports, coupled with attacks on local farmers, have rendered both imported and homegrown food scarce or unreachable for locals.
• The international community’s diplomatic efforts have so far failed to alleviate the crisis, with tens of thousands considered at risk of imminent starvation as aid channels remain blocked.

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For further updates on this complex and distressing crisis, the Wall Street Journal and on-the-ground correspondents like Nicholas Bariyo continue to provide ongoing coverage.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Warner and Paramount are headed back to the bargaining table. Plus, to fund his proposed budget, New York City's mayor could raise property taxes by almost 10%. And millions of people in Congo are at risk of starvation.

[C]

The supermarket shelves are empty. The food stores are closed or empty, so most of the traders have nothing to sell. Those that are available are very, very.

[B]

Expensive and unafford Alex It's Tuesday, February 17th. I'm Alex Osola for the Wall Street Journal. This is the PM edition of what's News, the top headlines and business stories that move the world today. First up on this evening's show, Media News the saga continues. Warner Brothers Discovery said today that it will restart deal talks with Paramount. Warner's board has set a seven day window for Paramount to make its, quote, best and final offer. Netflix says its $72 billion deal for Warner's movie and TV studios, plus its HBO Max streaming service is still better than Paramount's bid. The new deal talks set the stage for a potential bidding war. Netflix has the right to match an offer Warner accepts from another bidder. Warner Shares closed up 2.7% today, while shares of Paramount rose 4.9% and Netflix added 0.2%. Over at CBS, Stephen Colbert lashed out at the Federal Communications Commission and his own network during his show last night. He said CBS scrapped an interview he had planned with Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat running for Senate. Colbert laid out what happened to the Talarico segment during a six and a half minute monologue.

[D]

He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network's lawyers who called us directly that we could not have him on the broadcast.

[B]

Colbert said the network was worried of running afoul of the FCC's equal time rules for radio and broadcast television. The rules require shows that have candidates on during elections to also bring on their opponents. There's long been an exemption for news and talk show interviews, but last month the FCC issued guidance on the rules that were widely interpreted to be aimed at late night and daytime shows that feature Democratic politicians. The FCC said a show that is, quote, motivated bipartisan purposes wouldn't be entitled to an exemption. CBS and the FCC didn't respond to requests for comment. In U.S. markets, major indexes were slightly higher. The S&P 500, Nasdaq and the Dow all rose about 0.1%. General Mills says weight loss drugs are changing how it does business. At an industry conference today, the cereal makers CEO said it's planning new products packed with protein and fiber as well as smaller package sizes. Earlier today, the company cut its sales and profit outlook for the year. Shares fell 7%, while shares of TripAdvisor rose 9.7%. On activist investor Starboard Values plans to push for a shakeup of its board. Starbird has been saying TripAdvisor should consider selling some or all of the company. And the German pharmaceutical and agriculture conglomerate Bayer has proposed selling settling a class action lawsuit to resolve claims that its flagship herbicide Roundup, causes cancer. The settlement plan includes more than $7 billion to fund payments over 21 years. This morning we told you about how New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani had to present a budget for the coming fiscal year. Today he warned that a nearly 10% increase in property taxes may be needed. His first choice is to raise taxes for rich corporations and individuals, but doing that requires approval from the state legislature and governor. New York governor Kathy Hochul has opposed raising taxes, but Mamdani and the City council don't need the governor's approval to raise property taxes. The mayor's office says a property tax hike would affect 3 million residential units and over 100,000 commercial buildings. Coming up, the latest on talks between the US And Iran, what's behind widespread hunger in Congo, and more international news after the break.

[E]

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[B]

US And Iranian officials met in Geneva today for diplomatic talks. They said the talks made progress after Tehran indicated it was willing to compromise around the edges of its nuclear program. But the regime also sent a veiled threat carrying out military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has repeatedly said he wants a deal that ensures Iran won't get a nuclear weapon while he deploys American forces to the region in case there's no agreement, journal reporter Lawrence Norman, who is in Geneva, said, says Tehran isn't showing that it's willing to compromise on key points.

[F]

There has been no sign that the Iranians have really shifted on their key red lines, and the Iranians are saying, okay, if you strike us, we will use everything we've got to spark a regional war. They know that is not what the White House wants. So Iran does have some leverage here. At some point, Washington will need to decide do we believe that this process is real or are the Iranians buying time? And if they decide that it's not real, President Trump has made it very, very clear that he is prepared and willing even to strike Iran.

[B]

In other international news, India's coast Guard has seized three tankers sanctioned by the U.S. the tankers are now anchored off Mumbai and are under investigation. Analysts said the seizures show that relations between New Delhi and Washington are improving. Earlier this month, the two countries struck a trade deal after India promised to stop buying Russian oil. And the US Plans to deploy more advanced missile systems and other weapons in the Philippines to push back Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. The Philippines has openly challenged China's claims to much of the area and strengthened its alliance with Washington. In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, 10 million people are facing hunger. There's food, but people can't get to it because the group ruling the area is standing in the way. M23 is a rebel group backed by Rwanda. One year ago, M23 seized eastern Congo's largest city of Goma, and since then has tried to establish itself as the prevailing government. Journal reporter Nicholas Barillo has been following the story and joins me now from Kampala, Uganda. Nicholas, how is M23 making it difficult to get food?

[C]

They have introduced a lot of restrictions here. They have a lot of checkpoints. They control the border crossings, and in this case, they give priority to imports that come from Rwanda or Rwandan allies. These kind of restrictions hobbarding the movement of trade. One trader told me that he couldn't get his container cleared because he had gotten it from Kenya. And M23 questioned it and held it for several weeks until the food got rotten.

[B]

So imports are getting held up beyond the point of being useful if they're not from Rwanda or Rwanda's allies. But what about food grown within the country?

[C]

Yes, they have evicted a lot of local farmers, especially in food baskets, disrupted farming activities, disrupted harvest.

[B]

It sounds like few imports. Not much is being able to be grown. So if you're a resident of Goma, who's going to the grocery store, what does it look like on the shelves there?

[C]

Usually most of the supermarket shelves are empty. The food stores are closed or empty. The markets are also empty. Some of the commodities are really so scarce, especially those that are imported, like rice, like cooking oil. So most of the traders have nothing to sell. Those that are available are very, very expensive and unaffordable.

[B]

And how is the international community responding to this dire situation?

[C]

The UN and Western governments have been pushing M23 to a ceasefire, but these have really done little to change the situation on the ground. The UN is also pushing for the reopening of Goma International Airport, which was a major hub for the supply of relief aid. The rebels so far have not allowed its reopening, and aid agencies are warning that some people may starve to death, especially vulnerable people, mothers and young children and the sick.

[B]

That was WSJ reporter Nicholas Barillo. Thanks, Nicholas.

[C]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

M23 and the Rwandan government didn't respond to requests for comment. And that's what's news for this Tuesday afternoon. Today's show is produced by Pierre Bienname and Alexis Moore, with supervising producer Tali Arbel. I'm Alex Osola for the Wall Street Journal. We'll be back with the new show tomorrow morning. Thanks for listening.

[G]

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