Children in need caught up in DR Congo violence

Escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is creating a humanitarian catastrophe. Congolese Tutsi rebels overran the eastern town of Rutshuru on Tuesday, and Goma on Wednesday, forcing tens of thousands of people, including many children, to flee.

Some 20,000 people have fled the rebel advance, in addition to up to one million already displaced in the region, raising fears of another humanitarian disaster.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the rebels' offensive was "creating a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic dimensions and threatens dire consequences on a regional scale".

Aid workers are extremely worried about tens of thousands of people in the area including many vulnerable children. Many children and families who have fled to Goma are sleeping in the open, relying on aid agencies for food and it is feared that some people are dying from malnutrition.

SOS Children has been working in DR Congo since 1987 and has two Children's Vilalges in Bukavu and Uvira. Today, the National Director of SOS Children in the DR Congo, Marthe Kangene, described how large numbers of refugees coming from Goma are arriving in Bukavu, leading to an increase in the population and resulting in a lack of food supplies and other basic products. However, at the SOS Children's Village in Bukavu, there are currently no problems. The SOS mothers, children and staff are safe, although their anxietys are beginning to increase. The SOS mothers are making food provisions in case the situation worsens.

At SOS Children's Village Uvira, located at about 110km from Bukavu, the situation is calm and safe.

Read more about our work in DR Congo