At least 13 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says the UN.

Humanitarian needs caused by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo have doubled over the past year, the UN Security Council has said.

The country has been at war for much of the past 25 years, including recent political instability after President Joseph Kabila stayed in power beyond his mandated two terms in office.

Now, as the United Nations plans to hold a donor conference in Switzerland to help raise nearly $2bn, Congo officials say they will not attend, accusing the agency of exaggerating the problem.

So, how serious is the political and humanitarian crisis in Congo?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan

Guests:

Claude Mashala - National executive secretary of the ruling People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD)

Babar Baloch - Spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Vava Tampa - Founder of Save The Congo, a London-based campaign for human rights in Congo

Source: Al Jazeera News