A dire warning from the World Health Organisation, backed by British funding, has put the government’s aid strategy under fresh scrutiny. The WHO says escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo is creating a ‘catastrophic collision’ of disease, displacement and hunger that could undermine years of UK investment.
The conflict in eastern Congo has forced more than a million people from their homes this year alone. Cholera and measles outbreaks are spreading in overcrowded camps. The WHO warns that without immediate intervention, the region could see a public health disaster that spirals beyond its borders.
For the UK, this is more than a humanitarian concern. The Foreign Office has positioned Congo as a test case for its post-Brexit aid strategy. British taxpayers have pumped hundreds of millions into stabilisation programmes, local health systems and vaccine drives. The WHO alert suggests those gains are now at risk of being wiped out.
‘We are seeing a perfect storm,’ said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme. ‘Conflict, malnutrition and infectious disease are feeding off each other. If we don’t act decisively, the consequences will be felt for a generation.’
The UK’s contribution to the WHO’s Congo response runs into tens of millions. But critics say the government has been slow to recognise the severity of the crisis. Aid workers on the ground report that the Foreign Office has been focused on trade deals and diplomatic outreach, not on the deteriorating security situation.
Labour’s shadow international development secretary, Lisa Nandy, called for an urgent review. ‘The government cannot keep one eye on trade and the other on aid. If the WHO is warning of a catastrophic collision, ministers need to listen. The UK has a moral and strategic responsibility to step up.’
A government spokesperson defended the UK’s record, citing £200 million in aid to the region since 2020. ‘We remain committed to the people of the DR Congo. Our funding supports the WHO and other partners in delivering life-saving assistance. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.’
But for families in refugee camps like those outside Goma, the UK’s reassurances feel distant. ‘We fled the bullets, now we run from the sickness,’ said Alicia Mwenge, a mother of four living in a tent made of plastic sheeting. ‘They tell us help is coming. But the children are dying.’
The stakes for the UK are high. A collapse in Congo would not only be a human tragedy but a stain on Britain’s professed commitment to global health and stability. The Treasury, meanwhile, is weighing competing demands: the cost of intervention versus the cost of inaction.
For the working families who worry about the price of bread and the strength of public services, the question is whether aid money is well spent. The WHO’s warning suggests that it is. But if the UK wants to avoid a catastrophe, it must act now, not when the headlines have moved on.
