Enabling better humanitarian response: An example of how H2H services fill critical gaps in DRC

As conflict escalated in Eastern DRC in early 2025, forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes and worsening food insecurity, the humanitarian response has struggled to keep pace. By July, the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan was only 11% funded. Amid this severe shortfall, the H2H Network mobilized CHF 1.3 million to reinforce response capacity, including needs assessment and analysis, community perception monitoring, and support to national humanitarian leadership.

Through this H2H Network support package, members’ services are filling critical gaps, supporting local responders and improving the overall quality and efficiency of humanitarian response. These examples show how essential enabling services, recognised as critical across crises, can be tailored to local priorities, helping humanitarian action remain effective and accountable in complex emergencies.

The conflict in DRC escalated in early 2025 as the armed group M23 took control of Goma and Bukavu. Despite a fragile peace agreement signed by DRC and Rwanda in late-June, the context remains fragile and humanitarian actors are struggling to cope with the scale and severity of the crisis: access is curtailed by insecurity and response capacities are undermined by funding cuts. The combination of rising humanitarian needs, contextual challenges and lack of resources hampers the ability of humanitarian actors to intervene at scale and effectively.

To address these challenges, the H2H Network work with coordination bodies – the national NGO forum CONAFOHD, the Start Network’s Hub and OCHA – to identify critical gaps that H2H Members can help fill. In total, 10 H2H Members are implementing projects to support the humanitarian community through the H2H Fund. The below snapshot highlights how an H2H support package contributes to an effective, collective humanitarian response through the independent delivery of enabling services.

As part of the H2H Support Package for DRC, H2H Members are providing services and technical support to the humanitarian coordination architecture, thus enabling it to perform its functions effectively. IMPACT Initiatives enhances decision-making and response prioritization by providing targeted information and cross-sectoral analysis. For instance, the organization conducts Joint Market Monitoring across several provinces of eastern DRC and produces regular factsheets and trend analysis reports serving as the primary source of information for the Cash Working Group (CWG) to deliver of cash-based assistance.

MapAction has also set-up a remote support desk and deployed technical experts to enhance information management and Geographic Information System (GIs) capabilities of humanitarian actors on demand. MapAction supports OCHA by producing a and develop an earth observation-based flood mapping. MapAction is also collaborating with UNHCR and IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) to process displacement data. Similarly, upon request by humanitarian actors in country, the Global Nutrition Cluster Operations Teams is providing technical support to the Nutrition Cluster, deploying technical advisors to support the cluster and its partners at the national and sub-national levels.

By supporting civil society actors, both within the DRC and among the diaspora, H2H Members are promoting the leadership and inclusion of Congolese actors in the response. CartONG is notably developing an information management platform in collaboration with CONAFOHD, the national NGO forum, to enhance information sharing among its members about their activities and needs. The project aligns with CONAFOHD’s strategic goal to enhance the visibility of national NGOs, thus helping to localize the coordination of the response. CartONG is developing the platform in consultation with CONAFOHD and its members, and is transferring technical capacities to ensure that the platform can be managed by the forum once developed.

“This platform strengthens the transparency and accountability of our actions and helps us map and coordinate our efforts. It’s a real opportunity to highlight the crucial role of national NGOs.”

— Staff from FEMISA, a national NGO involved in the project

The Center for Humanitarian Leadership is delivering a Crisis Leadership Program to enhance national actors’ individual and organizational leadership through a combination of training and peer-learning. The course is contextualized and delivered in collaboration with Congolese civil society for the identification of participants and the provision of mentorship. The program equips national actors with knowledge and competencies to not only navigate but also influence the humanitarian coordination system.

“It's crucial that humanitarians operating in the DRC have access to leadership training and mentoring services, to help bolster their capacity to respond to this evolving and complex crisis.”

— Executive Director at Centre for Humanitarian Leadership

Finally, DEMAC is currently conducting a real-time review to map diaspora organizations and understand how they can best support local actors. DEMAC will then convene diaspora organizations and national NGOs to connect, build trust and collaborate on joint crowdfunding campaigns.

The H2H Network is supporting vital initiatives to capture communities’ needs and priorities about the humanitarian response, and to elevate the views of civil society actors. Ground Truth Solutions is researching communities’ needs, concerns, expectations and perceptions through a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection. The project will produce real-time analysis that reflects the lived experience of communities as well as recommendations for humanitarian actors to adjust their programs according to communities’ priorities.

Similarly, The New Humanitarian is working with local journalists to provide critical insights into the daily lives of communities affected by the conflict, with a particular focus on covering underreported issues or geographical areas. For instance, a report about Congolese refugees in Burundi highlights their struggle with dire conditions in camps, as well as tensions with authorities and aid organizations. Strategically, the newsroom is leveraging its platform to broadcast the views from communities and civil society actors to a wide-ranging, global audience of practitioners and policymakers.

“We have no support at the moment. In fact, I'm taking this opportunity to appeal for help because we are suffering even though we have returned home. We want help because eating here is difficult.” 

— Returnee from Sake, from an interview by The New Humanitarian

Access to information is essential for effective humanitarian action. In the DRC, H2H Members help communities access reliable information and equip aid agencies to counter misinformation. Fondation Hirondelle, for example, produces radio programmes on disinformation and humanitarian issues across multiple provinces and trains local journalists to report accurately in high-risk contexts. This enables communities to make informed decisions and engage with aid actors.

Similarly, Insecurity Insight is analyzing public discourse about humanitarian issues on social media in a report highlighting how displacement is linked to broader narratives of blame, distrust and frustrations towards aid actors and MONUSCO. Combined with datasets on incidents of violence against aid workers, the analysis of public narratives on social media increases the situational awareness and safety of humanitarian actors.

“The comments analysed in this brief don’t just criticise USAID—they question the entire logic of international aid. They accuse donors of prolonging conflict, enabling corruption, and manipulating national politics. They target individual aid workers and agencies, spread conspiracy theories, and call for an end to all foreign involvement.”

— From Insecurity Insight’s brief USAID Freeze Discussion on Social Media in the DRC

These examples show how essential enabling services, recognised as critical across crises, can be adapted to local priorities, ensuring humanitarian action remains effective and accountable even in complex contexts. While the H2H model is not a substitute for sufficient humanitarian funding, it offers a cost-effective, flexible approach that helps ensure limited resources go further. The 2025 H2H Fund Strategic Review confirms that the H2H Fund enables timely, impartial services that strengthen accountability, coordination, and community engagement when and where they are most needed.

Quality humanitarian action is not just about more resources; it also requires smarter, more agile systems. H2H services improve coordination, deliver actionable data, build trust, and support local leadership, even in challenging contexts like Eastern DRC.

We invite donors and partners to work with our membership to expand this model, replicating and scaling H2H approaches to strengthen crisis response globally. By investing in these proven enablers, we can collectively help ensure aid reaches people faster, more fairly, and with greater impact.