Children subjected to rape as fighting in DRC displaces over 350,000
By Linda Bordoni
A “rapidly deteriorating” situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has reportedly compounded a severe humanitarian crisis with some 350,000 people fleeing violence and with no roof over their heads.
The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) sounded the alarm as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who seized eastern Congo's largest city of Goma last month, are continuing in their drive south, and on Friday reportedly took control of the strategic Kavumu airport that serves Bukavu, the region's second-biggest city. Even before this latest rebel offensive, the North and South Kivu procinces were already hosting tens of thousands of internally displaced people.
According to UNHCR, about 70% of Goma's camps are destroyed, and others are damaged while unexploded munitions make it unsafe for them to go home.
It said "Hundreds of thousands of people are now living in makeshift accommodation, including churches and hospitals," and added there is an increase in crime and the danger of disease is growing as it and other agencies struggle to provide aid amid the fighting.
Children raped and recruited
Meanwhile the UN’s children’s fund – UNICEF - on Thursday accused armed men, likely on both sides of the conflict, of raping scores of children over the past weeks.
In a statement, the agency’s executive director, Catherine Russell said "In the North and South Kivu provinces, we are receiving horrific reports of grave violations against children by parties to the conflict, including rape and other forms of sexual violence at levels surpassing anything we have seen in recent years.”
“One mother recounted to our staff how her six daughters, the youngest just 12 years old, were systematically raped by armed men while searching for food." Russell added.
As fighting intensifies, hundreds of children have reportedly been separated from their fleeing families, exposing them to heightened risks of violence, and children as young as 12 are being enlisted or coerced to join the fighting.
The M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, in recent months have seized tracts of territory in eastern DRC, a country plagued by numerous conflicts for decades.
M23 claims to be fighting for the interests of ethnic Tutsis and has continued its military campaign in DRC despite calls from regional leaders to end the fighting.
(Source: AP, Reuters and other news agencies)
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