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UNICEF has launched an urgent appeal for 22 million dollars to provide emergency aid to 282,000 children in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as violence escalates.
This life-saving support encompasses protection, healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation, as well as educational services.
UNICEF is deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo, driven by an intensification of conflict and a surge in displaced populations.
In the past three months, an additional 658,000 people have been displaced across North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, with at least 282,000 of them being children.
As the situation grows increasingly volatile, with fighting advancing into Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, families have been forced to abandon displacement camps on the northern and western outskirts of the city, seeking refuge in central areas. Some have been displaced for the third, fourth, or even fifth time in recent weeks.
UNICEF DRC’s acting Representative, Jean Francois Basse, stated that the situation in Goma is dire and further compounds an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis, adding that People have endured traumatic events and are hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. Families are staying indoors to avoid the violence. Electricity, water, and internet services have been cut off. The scale of suffering among children and their families cannot be overstated.”
The primary threats to children include health and protection risks. Overcrowded and unsanitary conditions significantly increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks, including cholera, measles, and mpox. Many parents are hesitant to seek medical care for their sick children, fearing crossfire and knowing that hospital beds are unavailable.
UNICEF has also received alarming reports of a rise in children becoming separated from their parents or left unaccompanied, leaving them vulnerable to abduction, recruitment by armed groups, and sexual violence.
UNICEF is urgently seeking $22 million to sustain life-saving interventions, including access to clean water and adequate sanitation, medical aid, treatment for severely malnourished children, and essential child protection services.
Basse urged all parties involved in the conflict to halt military escalation, which is exacerbating the suffering of children and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
