GENEVA — Children make up nearly half of the estimated 10,000 victims of rape and sexual violence recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in January and February, according to UNICEF.
The figures coincide with a renewed offensive by M23 rebels, reportedly supported by Rwanda, against the Kinshasa government in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu.
During a press conference Friday in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said that, on average, one child was raped every half hour during the first two months of the year.
“These are not isolated incidents, but a systemic crisis,” Elder said via video link from Goma, North Kivu’s provincial capital, which is now under M23 control. “Some of the survivors are young children. This is a weapon of war and a deliberate tactic of terror, and it is destroying families and communities.”
UNICEF said the real number of victims is likely higher, as stigma, insecurity and fear often prevent survivors from reporting abuse.
Elder urged international intervention, citing the scale of the crisis and the need for prevention, survivor-centered services, and safe reporting mechanisms.
“Survivors need to feel the world supports them, not ignores them, and perpetrators must be brought to justice,” he said.
The crisis has been compounded by declining aid, which has hindered access to medical care, psychological support and legal assistance. Elder noted that at one hospital he visited, 127 survivors had not received post-exposure prophylaxis kits.
UNICEF estimates that if the current funding gap is not addressed, approximately 250,000 children could be left without access to critical protection services in the next 12 weeks.
The funding shortfall extends beyond immediate care. By 2026, projections indicate that 100,000 children may not receive measles vaccinations, 2 million may go unscreened for malnutrition, and 500,000 may lack access to clean water.
“The cost of inaction is not abstract. It is measured in avoidable suffering and lost futures,” Elder said.
