UNICEF at Security Council: Escalation in eastern DR Congo has created 'one of the world's worst' crises for children

A UNICEF representative told a Security Council briefing that a sharp escalation of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises for children, displacing more than 1,000,000 people since January and putting millions at risk of violence, disease and malnutrition.

The UNICEF representative said the new wave of displacement — including an estimated 400,000 children — adds to more than 5,000,000 people already living in displacement sites across the region. “The significant escalation of conflict in the Eastern region of the DRC has reached levels not seen in the last 3 decades,” the representative said.

UNICEF warned the violence has included a sharp rise in grave violations against children. The representative cited a 100% increase in verified grave violations against children in the first quarter of this year compared with the first quarter of 2024 and said reported cases of abduction increased sixfold between December 2024 and February of this year. The briefing said children accounted for more than 40% of…