Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Drc Clashes Child Protection topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fighting in eastern DRC displaces thousands; UNICEF reports alarming child protection statistics
Summary
UN coordination offices said fighting in South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces displaced thousands and blocked humanitarian corridors; UNICEF reported children comprised a large share of reported sexual‑ and gender‑based violence cases during recent months.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told reporters that clashes in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces, have forced thousands from their homes and hindered humanitarian access.
OCHA said heavy fighting in Kalele and Kabare territories displaced an estimated 11,000 people who are sheltering with host families; local partners also reported that violence blocked the Bukavu‑Kalehe road, a key humanitarian corridor. In Tanganyika province, local authorities reported civilians injured and dozens of homes burned after clashes in the Kilelemi territory, forcing residents into the bush or neighboring communities.
UNICEF added child‑protection concerns: the agency reported that children accounted for roughly 35–45% of nearly 20,000 cases of sexual‑ and gender‑based violence reported to protection actors in January and February, and said that during the peak phase of the conflict a child was raped approximately every 30 minutes, according to child protection colleagues on the ground. UNICEF called for more prevention efforts, survivor‑centered services and safe reporting mechanisms.
Why it matters: OCHA said insecurity is both displacing civilians and blocking access to critical roads that aid providers rely on, while UNICEF's figures indicate a severe and widespread child protection crisis that humanitarian actors say requires expanded services and accountability measures.
