As clashes between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), and the non-state armed group M23 has resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is dealing with an increase in violence.
Save the Children International (SCI) reported that since February 2nd, 2024, the conflict has forcibly displaced over 150,000 individuals, with more than half of them being children.
According to SCI, about 78,000 children have been uprooted from their homes in the past week alone, adding to the staggering number of 25 million people in dire need of humanitarian assistance in the country.
This recent wave of violence follows a turbulent year of heightened conflict in 2023, which displaced over 1 million people, including half a million children.
Greg Ramm, the Country Director of SCI in DRC, expressed grave concerns about the situation, stating that families are seeking refuge in displacement camps, churches, schools, and with host families.
Tragically, many children have been separated from their families amidst the violence, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
The use of artillery, drones, and explosives in eastern DRC has resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of vital infrastructure.
Recent reports indicate that 19 people have been killed and 27 injured, including three young girls. A market was struck on February 7th, and munitions landed dangerously close to a school and a hospital.
Ramm stressed the dire circumstances faced by children in eastern DRC, describing it as another nightmare for them.
Not only are they witnessing the horrors of conflict, but they are also at risk of recruitment into armed groups, facing severe hunger, and enduring sexual abuse.
