Life-saving support covers protection, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, and education services
Kinshasa, 29 January 2024 – UNICEF has launched an urgent appeal for $22 million to provide emergency assistance to 282,000 children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as violence escalates and the humanitarian situation rapidly deteriorates.
Over the past three months, an additional 658,000 people have become displaced in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, with at least 282,000 of them being children. The recent intensification of conflict has forced families to abandon displacement camps on the outskirts of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, and seek refuge in other locations within the city. Some families have been displaced multiple times in recent weeks.
“The situation in Goma is extremely grave and further complicating a humanitarian situation that was already beyond dire,” said Jean Francois Basse, UNICEF DRC’s acting Representative. “People have been exposed to traumatic events, and they are hungry, thirsty and exhausted. Families are sheltering in place to avoid being caught up in the violence. Electricity, water and internet have all been cut. It’s hard to overstate how deeply children and their families are suffering.”
Children face severe health and protection risks due to crowded and unsanitary conditions, which increase the likelihood of diseases such as cholera, measles, and mpox. Parents are reluctant to take sick children to hospitals for fear of being caught in the crossfire and due to a lack of available beds.
UNICEF has reported a surge in the number of children separated from or unaccompanied by their parents, exposing them to dangers such as kidnapping, abduction, recruitment by armed groups, and sexual violence.
UNICEF is calling for $22 million to continue delivering life-saving support, including clean water, proper sanitation, medications, medical supplies, treatment for severely malnourished children, and protection services.
“Ultimately, we need parties to the conflict to put an end to the military escalation, which is exacerbating the suffering of children and worsening the already appalling humanitarian conditions,” Basse added.