DRC: Violence against children - UNICEF
/
3:43
/
MP4
/
274.7 MB

Edited News | UNICEF , UNITED NATIONS

DRC: Violence against children - UNICEF

STORYLINE

DR Congo: There are few worse places to be a child, warns UNICEF

Amid record levels of violence against children in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) sounded the alarm on Friday that the country has the world’s highest number of children being raped and killed on a daily basis.

“Violence against children in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached unprecedented levels,” said Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s Representative in the DRC.

Speaking at the United Nations in Geneva, he said that there were “few worse places, if any, to be a child. The country has the world’s highest number of UN-verified grave violations against children in armed conflict and these numbers present only the tip of the iceberg.”

After visiting a centre for children released from armed groups in Beni, North Kivu, the UNICEF official reported that he had met one-year-old twins that were found abandoned in their village, desperately malnourished and attached to an explosive belt. All of their family members were killed in an attack by one of the many armed groups operating in the eastern DRC. The expanding use of improvised explosive devices is just one of several recent, depraved trends, he said.

“They are twins, and they are currently just over one year old,” Mr. Leaity said. “When they were found, there were only a few months old. This was indeed a booby trap. We got in touch with the anti-mine personne colleagues who came and were able to take these devices off safely.”

This upsurge in violence and conflict in the country’s east has also resulted in the worst displacement crisis in Africa, and one of the worst globally this year.

Among the six grave violations against children in armed conflicts reported on by the UN, two saw a sharp increase in the last 12 months in eastern DRC: the recruitment of children by armed groups and killing and maiming of children.

“More than 2.8 million children are bearing the brunt the of the humanitarian crisis in the east. I am here today to, I hope, sound the alarm,” Mr. Leaity continued. “On a daily basis, children are being raped and killed. They are being abducted, recruited and used by armed groups.”

In the first three months of 2023 in North Kivu alone, more than 38,000 cases of sexual- and gender-based violence were reported, which is a 37 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2021. This represents 10,000 additional reports of sexual and gender-based violence reported in one year for North Kivu.

In addition to the devastating violence, around 1.2 million children under five in eastern DRC face the risk of severe acute malnutrition, according to UNICEF. The country is also experiencing its worst cholera outbreak in more than five years “and measles (is) on the rise particularly around 12 provinces with over 780,000 cases as of August this year”, Mr. Leaity said.

According to UNICEF, around 2,000 schools have closed in the eastern DRC in the last 12 months as result of the latest uptick in violence.

“There are schools which are directly attacked, so they can be shot at or burned down and sometimes they are literally looted and destroyed,” explained the UNCEF representative. “But there are far greater numbers where schools are being used by internally displaced people who have no other available options for shelter.” He added that “the third category is where the schools are not being looted but the teachers are themselves amongst the displaced.”

UNICEF requires $400 million for the coming six months to scale up the humanitarian response in eastern DRC. This appeal has only received one per cent additional funding since the emergency scale-up was announced in June this year.

“This is one of the richest places on earth on the ground. It is absolutely full of strategic minerals that the entire world is benefiting from,” Mr. Leaity said. “All of our cell phones are run on coltan from eastern DRC.” He added that “there is an acceptance of something which is unacceptable. So, the real solution to the root cause is not simply to scale up the humanitarian response. We need to find political solutions so that we can get to a peaceful existence for the population of the eastern DRC”.

-ends-

  1. Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley, UN Geneva
  2. Wide shot: speakers behind podium at the press conference
  3. SOUNDBITE (English) – Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “Violence against children in eastern DRC has reached unprecedented levels. There are few worse places, if any, to be a child. The country has the world’s highest number of UN-verified grave violations against children in armed conflicts. And these numbers represent, really, only the tip of the iceberg.”
  4. Wide shot: speakers behind podium, attendees at the press conference, screens with speakers
  5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “They are twins and they are currently just over 1 year old. So when they were found they were only a few months old. This was indeed a booby trap. So, when they were found we basically got in touch with the anti-mine personnel, colleagues, who came and were able to take these devices off safely.”
  6. Medium shot: attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
  7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “More than 2.8 million children are bearing the brunt of this humanitarian crisis in the East. I’m here today, I hope, to sound the alarm. On a daily basis, children are being raped and killed. They are being abducted, recruited and used by armed groups.”
  8. Medium shot: attendees at the press conference
  9. SOUNDBITE (English) – Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “The lives of children in the eastern DRC are threatened by epidemics and malnutrition. Around 1.2 million children under five in the East are facing the risk of severe acute malnutrition. Epidemic outbreaks are growing with DRC experiencing its worst cholera outbreak in more than five years and measles are on the rise particularly around 12 provinces with 780'000 cases as of August this year.”
  10. Medium shot: attendees at the press conference
  11. SOUNDBITE (English) – Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “There are schools which are directly attacked, so they can be shot at or burned down and sometimes literally looted and destroyed. But there are far greater numbers where schools are being used by internally displaced people who have no other available options for shelter. And the third category is where the schools are not being looted but the teachers are themselves among the displaced.”
  12. Medium shot: Speakers behind podium at the press conference
  13. SOUNDBITE (English) – Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “This is one of the richest places on earth underground. It is absolutely full of strategic minerals that the entire world is benefiting from. All of our cellphones are on a Coltan from eastern DRC.
  14. Wide shot: attendees at the press conference, screen with speaker
  15. SOUNDBITE (English) – Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “There is an acceptance of something which is unacceptable. So the solution, the real solution, to the root cause is not simply to scale up the humanitarian response. We need to find political solutions so that we can get to a peaceful existence for the population of eastern DRC.”
  16. Wide shot: speakers behind podium and attendee at the press conference, screens with speaker
  17. Wide shot: attendees, cameramen and sound engineers at the press conference

Similar Stories

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned of the risk of the violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo escalating throughout the Great Lakes sub-region, following the recent takeover of Goma city by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.

DR Congo - Human Rights Council  Special Session

1

1

1

Edited News | HRC

DR Congo - Human Rights Council Special Session ENG FRA

UN human rights chief Volker Türk expressed profound concerns at the ongoing violent escalation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) caused by the ongoing Rwanda-backed M23 offensive. “If nothing is done, the worst may be yet to come, for the people of the eastern DRC, but also beyond the country’s borders,” he told a Special Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

US funding cuts impact - UNAIDS

1

1

1

Edited News | UNAIDS

US funding cuts impact - UNAIDS ENG FRA

US aid funding cuts create confusion, put HIV prevention at risk, says UNAIDS 

The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created “a lot of confusion” in community HIV prevention work, despite the waiver issued for HIV/AIDS programmes, the UN agency to combat AIDS (UNAIDS) said on Friday.

US aid funding cuts,  UNFPA - OCHA - UNOG

1

1

1

Edited News | UNFPA , OCHA , UNOG

US aid funding cuts, UNFPA - OCHA - UNOG ENG FRA

UN agencies offered a dire assessment on Tuesday about the global impact of deep cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration and reiterated calls for Washington to retain its position as a global aid leader.

OPT humanitarian update  - UNRWA

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA

OPT humanitarian update - UNRWA ENG FRA

While West Bank camp is destroyed, UNRWA delivers bulk of aid in Gaza

Large swathes of Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank have been completely destroyed following a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli security forces (ISF), the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Human Rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Human Rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday raised the alarm about the growing human rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and James Rodehaver on fourth year since the coup in Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and James Rodehaver on fourth year since the coup in Myanmar ENG FRA

At the UN bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and the head of UN Human Rights Myanmar team James Rodehaver, describedunprecedented levels of killing in 2024, four years since the coup.

OPT Update UNRWA, WHO 31 January 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO , UNRWA

OPT Update UNRWA, WHO 31 January 2025 ENG FRA

The largest UN agency in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UNRWA, said on Friday that its staff are still helping the people of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem who depend on them “for their sheer survival”, a day after the Israeli parliament ban on its activities entered into force.

DRC humanitarian update OCHA - WFP - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , WFP , WHO

DRC humanitarian update OCHA - WFP - WHO ENG FRA

Goma: ‘Critical’ moment for population caught in crossfire – UN humanitarians

In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), civilians caught up in heavy fighting face a “critical” 24 hours, with food and water running low and aid unable to enter, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.

Holocaust remembrance day

1

1

1

Edited News | UNOG

Holocaust remembrance day ENG FRA

Nazi death camp survivor Ivan Lefkovits shared harrowing testimony of his experiences on Monday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, with a timeless message for present and future generations: “Don't be neutral, especially not towards human suffering." 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said it was “deeply concerned by the use of unlawful lethal force in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank”, as part of an ongoing Israeli military operation.

UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani briefing on DRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani briefing on DRC ENG FRA

“We are deeply alarmed at the heightened risk of an attack by the M23 armed group on Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” Ravina Shamdasani said.