The African Development Bank (AfDB) approved $48.83 million on April 29, 2026, in Abidjan, to fund a crisis response project for conflict-affected people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The financing supports the Crisis Response Project to Assist Affected Populations in the East, known by its French acronym PRECAPE, and targets Uvira in South Kivu, and Beni and Walikale in North Kivu.

The package includes a $33.91 million loan, alongside grants from the Transition Support Facility and the African Development Fund. The funding aims to address the immediate needs of crisis-affected communities while supporting the recovery of local economic activity.

The project will rehabilitate and equip several basic infrastructure facilities, including five vocational training centers, seven schools and seven health centers, as well as markets and water and sanitation facilities.

PRECAPE also includes measures to support employment and human capital. It will train 1,500 young people in high-demand trades, provide capacity-building support for 2,000 people, and offer psychosocial and medical assistance to 4,500 women survivors of gender-based violence.

According to the AfDB, more than 800,000 people, including internally displaced persons and host communities, are expected to benefit from the program.

The project will also explore innovative initiatives, including the tokenization of natural resources, notably gold and carbon, to mobilize alternative financing and improve incomes for rural communities.

This funding is part of a series of recent AfDB interventions in the DRC. In February 2026, the institution committed $49.6 million for the Regional Program to Support Infrastructure Development and the Enhancement of Transboundary Water Resources, known as PREDIRE, covering the provinces of North Ubangi, South Ubangi and Mongala.

Boaz Kabeya