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Tag: Sexual Violence

  • Sexual violence systematically used as a weapon of war in the DR Congo

    Sexual violence systematically used as a weapon of war in the DR Congo

    The ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to have devastating consequences, particularly for women and children, who face an increased risk of conflict-related sexual violence.

    Senior UN officials warned on Wednesday Opens in new window that all parties involved in the conflict are systematically using sexual violence as a tactic of war against civilians.

    Worsening conditions in the east

    Escalating attacks by non-State armed groups in eastern DRC have led to a significant surge in sexual violence, predominantly targeting women and children.

    Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized control of key eastern cities such as Goma and Bukavu from government forces earlier this year, plunging the already volatile, mineral-rich region deeper into chaos following years of instability and conflict between multiple armed factions.

    UN peacekeepers are deployed under a mandate from the Security Council Opens in new window to protect civilians and support the delivery of humanitarian aid.

    “In the face of this unprecedented security and humanitarian crisis, the situation for women and children continues to deteriorate,” UN officials stressed.

    Children are increasingly subjected to grave human rights violations, including recruitment and abduction by armed groups, alongside the threat of sexual violence.

    Local militias have also coerced young girls into early marriages. Since February, at least nine girls have reportedly been forced into marriage, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA Opens in new window).

    No end to displacement

    The DRC is currently facing one of the world’s most severe displacement crises, with 7.8 million people internally displaced. Nearly 9,000 of them are currently sheltering in 50 collective centres in North Kivu, OCHA reports.

    Ongoing violence, looting, and restricted humanitarian access have worsened living conditions. Attacks on healthcare facilities and severe shortages of medical supplies are placing additional strain on survivors, particularly those requiring life-saving HIV treatment, which is increasingly unavailable.

    Prolonged conflict has also driven 1.1 million Congolese to flee to neighbouring countries, with children comprising over half of the refugee population.

    Impunity and lack of support

    Despite the scale of the crisis, acts of sexual violence remain largely underreported due to fear of stigma, threats of retaliation, and inadequate access to humanitarian services.

    Survivors frequently face obstacles in accessing medical treatment, mental health support, and legal protection.

    UN officials have called for urgent accountability measures and the implementation of gender-sensitive, child-centred responses.

    Restoring critical humanitarian aid and protection services is essential to help survivors reclaim their health, dignity, and a sense of safety.

  • Almost 80,000 flee DR Congo amid fighting, sexual violence: UNHCR

    Almost 80,000 flee DR Congo amid fighting, sexual violence: UNHCR

    In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), insecurity and horrific sexual violence have left tens of thousands fleeing across borders with no sign of the exodus stopping, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday.

    “Near the frontlines, sexual violence and human rights abuses remain rampant, as is the looting and destruction of civilian homes and businesses,” said Patrick Eba, Deputy Director of UNHCR’s Division of International Protection.

    Speaking in Geneva, Eba told journalists that that North and South Kivu provinces remain unstable, with “hundreds of thousands of people on the move”.

    Close to 80,000 people have fled armed clashes between Congolese Government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels into neighbouring countries and some 61,000 have arrived in Burundi since January, Eba stressed.

    60 rape victims a day

    A staggering 895 cases of rape were reported to humanitarian actors in the last two weeks of February alone, the UN refugee agency official continued – an average of more than 60 a day.

    The UNHCR official highlighted other risks faced by civilians, including the dangers posed by explosive remnants of war to children and farmers trying to tend their fields. On Monday, the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) reported that armed men had raided at least two hospitals in North Kivu’s capital Goma, abducting dozens of patients.

    The fighting has also impeded humanitarian access to people on the move. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has had to pause its aid operations in conflict-affected areas but was resuming emergency food assistance “in some parts of North Kivu” according to a post on social media platform X on Tuesday morning, aiming to reach over 210,000 people.

    M23 forced evictions

    Inside North and South Kivu, “significant” population movements have continued, in line with reported M23 orders issued to internally displaced people (IDPs) to leave the camps around Goma, UNHCR’s Eba said.

    “Today, only around 17,000 people are left residing in IDP sites, schools and churches around Goma, while an estimated 414,000 of their neighbours have been on the move for the past four weeks, encouraged by the de facto authorities to return to their villages of origin,” he explained.

    Given the widespread insecurity in eastern DRC, “many more” people may need to cross borders in search of safety, Eba warned.

    UNHCR’s position regarding returns to the area is that “Congolese nationals fleeing the conflict, as well as those who are outside the country, who originate from the areas affected by the conflict, may need refugee protection under international and regional legal frameworks,” he said.

    The UNHCR official emphasized the importance of “informed decision-making” for any voluntary returns to conflict-affected areas.

    Exempt from funding freeze

    Asked about the impact of the United States’ humanitarian funding freeze on operations in the country, UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun confirmed that the agency had received a waiver lifting the 90-day suspension for “a few emergency countries, including DRC”.

    Assistance for the current crisis that was spawned by a decades-long conflict in the mineral-rich region had “always been underfunded”, she said, expressing hope that UNHCR will be able to “continue to support this emergency”.

    There are over one million Congolese refugees across Africa, mainly in neighbouring countries. Uganda hosts more than half of that total, while Burundi has seen most new arrivals since January’s flash M23 offensive. Prior to the current crisis, some 6.7 million people were internally displaced within the DRC.