Poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The corruption in the mining industry has become a lucrative trade for militia groups who, before 2010, generated yearly revenues estimated around $185 million indirectly from foreign investors.

Foreign companies investing in the armed groups that control mineral resources has resulted in the loss of over $1 billion in tax revenue.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the data is sparse, but nevertheless it has concluded that "[a]rmed conflicts have caused a deterioration in living standards in most of the provinces".

Major diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A, malaria, polio, measles and typhoid fever continue to run rampant.

Due to the ongoing violence the United Nations estimates that approximately 2.3 million persons are displaced in the DRC.

[13] The conflicts in mining provinces have disrupted harvesting activities resulting in three million people being at risk of starvation.