Hungry, Thirsty, Exhausted: UNICEF Appeals for Support for Children in DRC
UNICEF is on the ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo delivering urgently needed humanitarian assistance — but more help is needed as violence intensifies in the eastern provinces.
Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.
Deepening crisis in the DRC
UNICEF is gravely concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, an estimated 658,000 people — including at least 282,000 children — have become newly displaced in just the last three months. As fighting intensified around Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, in recent days, families were forced to abandon displacement camps on the northern and western outskirts of the city, moving to other locations in the center of town.
For some, it is their third, fourth or even fifth displacement in a matter of weeks.
The volatile situation carries many health and protection risks, especially for children. Crowded and unsanitary conditions make the spread of diseases like cholera, measles and mpox all the more likely. Parents are unlikely to take sick children to hospitals for fear of being caught in the crossfire and because they know there are no beds.
UNICEF has received reports of a number of children who have become separated from parents or who are otherwise without caregivers, leaving them vulnerable to kidnapping and abduction, recruitment by armed groups and sexual violence.
“The situation in Goma is extremely grave and further complicating a humanitarian situation that was already beyond dire,” said Jean Francois Basse, UNICEF DRC’s acting Representative. “People have been exposed to traumatic events, and they are hungry, thirsty and exhausted. Families are sheltering in place to avoid being caught up in the violence. Electricity, water and internet have all been cut. It's hard to overstate how deeply children and their families are suffering.”
UNICEF has issued an appeal for support for an emergency response that includes child protection, health, nutrition, water and sanitation and education services.
“Ultimately, we need parties to the conflict to put an end to the military escalation, which is exacerbating the suffering of children and worsening the already appalling humanitarian conditions,” Basse said.
UNICEF's ongoing humanitarian work in DRC — delivering safe water, health care, nutrition, education — as important as ever
UNICEF has been on the ground in DRC for many years working with partners to meet immediate needs of children and families while also leaning into local partnerships to strengthen essential systems, build resilience and foster social cohesion in communities.
Ongoing, priority interventions include:
- helping to implement community-based solutions to child malnutrition — including treatment for severely malnourished children
- supporting health facilities and frontline health workers battling disease outbreaks; UNICEF-supported community outreach teams play a critical role in raising awareness and strengthening disease prevention
- supporting child immunization by procuring vaccines, helping to strengthen cold chain storage and transport and increasing immunization coverage
- establishing temporary learning centers for out-of-school children
- installing latrines and water distribution points and distributing hygiene and sanitation kits at schools — key measures that protect children's health while also improving learning environments, boosting student performance
- helping children and their families access mental health counseling and psychosocial support
Learn more about what UNICEF and partners are doing in DRC.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
