UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) condemned on Friday the heinous acts of violence against children.
The children are becoming more normalised to sexual violence, forced displacement and access to basic necessities like clean water, education, and healthcare severely disrupted.
Henrietta Fore, UNICEF’s Executive Director, has called for immediate action and aid in response to this ongoing crisis.
She emphasised that an entire generation is at stake, with the trauma these children endure having long-lasting consequences for their development and their nation’s stability.
The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to be the country with the highest number of serious violations against children, as indicated by the UN’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict.
The report released in June, revealed that 3,377 incidents of human rights abuses against children. According to Save the Children, abducted children were either placed on the front lines or deployed as guards or spies.
