Nearly 120,000 Children Displaced in Escalation of Violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
oneSome 120,000 children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have been forced from their homes since the start of the year, with a horrific wave of violence hitting villages(1), leaving some separated from their parents and a town cut off from the outside world, Save the Children said.
On Sunday, multiple bombs exploded in the town of Chibemba, killing at least two adults and injuring four children. The town of Minova in South Kivu province, where Save the Children operates through its partners, was attacked on Tuesday, cutting off routes out of the town and blocking access to humanitarian aid. Staff reported injured and unaccompanied children desperately searching for their parents.
David Okoni* works for the Save the Children partner organization in the town of Minova, 45 kilometers from the city of Goma. Fierce fighting broke out in the town on Tuesday. David said:
“At around 5:00 a.m., gunshots began to echo in Minova and people fled. Most of the people were already displaced people fleeing the conflict and had taken refuge in Minova. Many tried to reach Goma across the lake, but the boats stopped Operations, people are trapped without adequate shelter and forced to sleep in schools, in the open, and even in warehouses.
“The situation is dire. Parents don’t have food or clean water for their children, and those wounded by bullets still don’t get medical care as medical staff also flee to save their lives. Our crews have encountered Unaccompanied and separated children are desperately searching for their parents, but the extent of the crisis remains unknown.
“Currently, access to the area is inaccessible as boats no longer cross the lake. It is imperative that civilians wishing to leave are able to do so and that humanitarian aid reaches displaced families who are in desperate need of assistance.”
There are more than 4.6 million displaced people in the eastern province of North and South Kivu, and fighting has increased dramatically since early 2025. According to the United Nations, more than 230,000 people have been newly displaced, with a surge in displacement over the past week amid violence in the towns of Bwaimana and Minova. Some 113 people have been injured and hospitalized in various health facilities around Goma as the violence continues, according to the United Nations.
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with nearly 7 million people displaced, including at least 3.5 million children, and more than 26 million people, or one in four people, in need of humanitarian assistance.
Greg Ramm, Save the Children Democratic Republic of Congo director, said:
“Children are caught in the crossfire and time is running out. Access to humanitarian aid to an already vulnerable population has been blocked.
We urge all parties to the conflict to prioritize the protection of civilians and ensure unrestricted humanitarian access. We once again call on the international community to take immediate action to address the rapidly spreading humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This includes providing emergency assistance to displaced people, supporting efforts to protect civilians and working towards peaceful resolutions to conflicts. ”
Save the Children has been working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1994 to meet humanitarian needs arising from the arrival of refugees and population displacement due to armed conflict in the eastern provinces. Save the Children scaled up its humanitarian response to support existing care systems, train local leaders and communities to prevent and respond to exploitation and abuse, and ensure access to health care through mobile clinics. It also helps children access basic education by building classrooms, training teachers and distributing learning materials.
In Minova, South Kivu, Save the Children works with national organizations to provide essential food assistance, livelihood opportunities, protection services and educational support. In addition, the organization implements health, nutrition, water and sanitation activities through an alliance project.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.
