What It Takes to Support Children Fleeing Violence in Eastern DRC

'He knows who everybody is'

Many months of violent conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have displaced families and disrupted critical health, education and other services and systems, intensifying risks to children's safety and well-being.

When fighting forces families to flee, it is all too easy for children to become separated from their parents and caregivers in the chaos.

It is in times like these that the efforts of individuals like Bienfait, a community social worker in Masisi territory, North Kivu, become more critical than ever. With support from UNICEF, Bienfait has helped reunite families torn apart by violence and displacement.

"As a member of the community, he knows who everybody is," says Judith, a community psychologist who works alongside Bienfait. Together, they work to identify unaccompanied and separated children, reunite them with caregivers and make sure they get the psychological care they need. Bienfait also helps organize hikes and other activities for children and young people to help relieve the stress of living in a conflict zone. 

Family tracing and psychosocial support services remain essential child protection interventions in the DRC — but cuts in foreign aid are putting these vital efforts at risk.

Watch the video: a UNICEF-supported social worker makes a difference for children in his community

This intimate glimpse into Bienfait’s life and day-to-day activities highlights his strong ties to the community and the growing strain felt by many following recent reductions in international aid funding:

Supporting children in conflict also means ensuring access to clean water, health care, nutrition and education, and facilitating their release from armed groups

UNICEF's emergency response in the DRC relies on ongoing collaborations with local partners — and individuals like Bienfait — to meet a range of needs.

UNICEF-supported mobile health and nutrition teams are on the ground delivering lifesaving support including vaccinations. UNICEF is also providing safe water through emergency water trucking and rehabilitating water systems to mitigate heightened risks of disease outbreaks. 

Learn more about how UNICEF supports and protects children in the DRC

Helping displaced children continue their education is another top priority. Earlier this spring, UNICEF staff helped thousands of secondary school students sit their exams so they could avoid having to repeat the year.

UNICEF also supports children released from armed groups. Many are placed with foster families and connected with services that help them reintegrate into society and get back to being kids.

All of these efforts face critical funding shortfalls. 

“If the funding crisis isn’t urgently addressed, hundreds of thousands of children in eastern DRC will miss out on screening and treatment for malnutrition, lifesaving medicines and vaccines, safe drinking water and psychosocial support," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement before the UN Security Council on April 16, 2025.

There is hope, however.

"What gives me hope: the children, the social workers, the young people and the health workers of the DRC," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said after visiting the DRC in April. “The skilled and compassionate social workers — rooted in the community — are the backbone of UNICEF’s response," Elder said. "Day by day, they accompany survivors, stitching together safety, dignity and justice ... What they need is opportunity. That's the spark. But for opportunity to light real change, it must come with peace, and with funding.” 

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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.