UNICEF says conflict reaches “new heights” and plunges DRC into its “worst humanitarian crisis” in two decades

Denounces that serious violations “are the highest in history”, including murders, mutilations and recruitment of ‘child soldiers’

May 14. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The conflict that has been shaking the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for years has reached “new heights”, according to what the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned this Tuesday, highlighting that it is “the worst humanitarian crisis” in the African country for more than two decades.

“The scale of the conflict in the east has reached new heights, displacing millions of people and creating the worst humanitarian crisis in the country since 2003,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director of Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations Ted Chaiban.

Chaiban, who has concluded a five-day visit to eastern DRC, has denounced that “boys and girls are being murdered, mutilated, kidnapped and recruited by armed groups”, “Verified serious violations are the highest in history “, he said, before adding that the rights to education and a safe childhood of these children “have been destroyed.”

“We are seeing the number of children killed and injured increasing with the recent shift to the use of heavier and more sophisticated weapons,” said Chaiban, amid fears that the unprecedented number of 7.2 million internally displaced people could increase even more given the advance of rebel groups such as the March 23 Movement (M23).

“The intensification of fighting in recent months has worsened an already precarious situation for the boys, girls and families in the camps,” he said after his visit, in which he traveled to the internally displaced persons camps of Bulengo and Lushagala, on the outskirts of the city of Goma, where more than 36,500 families live.

Thus, he stressed that “the only way to reduce this suffering is to redouble the efforts of regional actors and the international community to negotiate a political solution to the conflict, including the Luanda process, the Nairobi dialogue and other diplomatic efforts.”

“The deteriorating security situation in the provinces of North and South Kivu and Ituri has a significant impact on the provision of humanitarian aid,” said Chaiban, who also met with displaced people in Minova, where the arrival of more than 250,000 displaced people has added great pressure to already vulnerable host communities.

On the other hand, it has firmly condemned the attacks carried out last week against three camps around Goma, which left 35 dead, and has asked the parties to keep military installations and operations away from areas where there are civilians. to avoid victims among the population.

“DRC is too big to fail. We need peace and security so that the displaced return to their homes, cultivate their fields and their children go back to school,” said Chaiban, who stressed that “supporting government systems so that making communities more resilient is the only way to reduce humanitarian needs.

In this sense, he assured that “UNICEF maintains its commitment to guarantee the right of all boys and girls to health, education and protection.” “Responding to the full scale of needs and providing lasting solutions can only be achieved if the Government takes primary responsibility for providing basic services in these difficult contexts, with our collective support,” she concluded.