The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the world’s most complex crises – and one of its most forgotten. An upsurge in armed conflict and intercommunal clashes has resulted in a spike in grave violations against children, and is driving record-levels of gender-based violence, hunger, leaving families ever more vulnerable.
Conditions in camps for those who have been displaced are often dire, cramped, and fraught with danger. But the number of internally displaced families could further spiral as armed groups take control of ever more territory and as violence spreads, further straining resources for UNICEF and partners.
With humanitarian funding dwindling, UNICEF-led humanitarian interventions are focused on providing food, safe water, adequate sanitation, shelter, basic health care, education, and protective services for the most vulnerable, particularly women and children. UNICEF’s support includes:
Providing safe spaces for children
Children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are being killed, maimed, subject to sexual violence, and recruited by parties to the conflict, with verified grave violations reaching new highs. Their rights to a safe childhood are being shattered.
Source: unicef.org
