Since December 1, intense fighting in South Kivu province has forced more than 500,000 people, including over 100,000 children, to seek refuge in other locations or cross the border into Burundi and Rwanda, the international organization noted.
With the spread of violence, displacement is expected to increase even further, and UNICEF expressed concern for the safety and well-being of these children, according to a statement.
Among the risks these children face are family separation, exposure to violence, exploitation, gender-based and sexual violence, as well as psychosocial suffering.
According to UNICEF, between December 6 and 11 alone, more than 50,000 Congolese people were identified as having arrived in Burundi, nearly half of whom are minors—a number expected to rise in the coming days.
Many of these refugees have injuries, and there are also unaccompanied children or children separated from their families. Therefore, UNICEF is working with the authorities of the DRC and Burundi to mobilize an urgent humanitarian response.
The agency urged all parties to protect children and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, emphasizing that children should never pay the price of conflict.
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