UN Urges Immediate Action as Violence Against Children Surges in DRC
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a devastating humanitarian crisis as violence escalates in the North and South Kivu provinces, with children suffering the worst consequences. United Nations human rights experts have sounded the alarm, calling for urgent measures to protect vulnerable children caught in the crossfire of the intensifying conflict.
Children Caught in the Crossfire
The UN experts have reported a sharp increase in indiscriminate attacks, sexual violence, and child recruitment by armed groups, leading to severe violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws. Health facilities are overwhelmed with cases of sexual violence, with children accounting for a staggering 30% of the victims receiving treatment.
“The recent surge in violence has led to indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations, massacres, and conflict-related sexual violence. This is a blatant violation of international laws,” the UN experts stated.
Humanitarian agencies have also identified over 1,100 unaccompanied and separated children in North and South Kivu, a number expected to rise as the crisis deepens.
Attacks on Schools and Hospitals Escalate
The crisis is exacerbated by the deliberate targeting of hospitals, humanitarian aid facilities, and civilian infrastructure. Schools, once safe havens for learning, are now either occupied by armed groups or used as shelters for displaced families. The conflict has displaced more than 700,000 people, with 41% being school-aged children.
“A majority of cases remain unreported, and this may only be the tip of the iceberg,” the experts warned, stressing that the true scale of child suffering is likely far greater than documented.
Children Recruited into Armed Conflict
The forced recruitment of children into armed groups remains a harrowing concern. Many are abducted, trafficked, and forced into combat, where they face extreme violence, abuse, and exploitation. Reports indicate that all parties to the conflict are engaging in child recruitment, exposing them to injury, death, and lifelong psychological trauma.
“We are particularly concerned by reports of children disappearing, being abducted, or trafficked and recruited for use in combat,” the UN experts emphasized.
Urgent Call for Action
In response, the UN is pushing for the immediate implementation of child-focused protective measures. These include:
- Strengthening early warning systems and risk alerts to prevent violations.
- Developing robust age verification methods to stop child recruitment.
- Allowing child protection agencies access to military sites to prevent unlawful recruitment.
- Demobilizing child soldiers and providing them with full psychological and physical rehabilitation for safe reintegration into society.
“We call on all parties to the conflict, including those directly engaged in hostilities and persons in command roles, to halt these atrocities and uphold their legal obligations to protect civilians, particularly children,” the experts stated.
With children enduring unimaginable suffering in the DRC, the time to act is now. If immediate measures are not taken, the scars of this violence will define an entire generation.
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UN Urges Immediate Action as Violence Against Children Surges in DRC