KIGALI, Rwanda
The escalating violence and displacement in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has left hundreds of thousands of children out of school, the UN agency for children, UNICEF, said Monday.
Since the beginning of the year, violent clashes have led to the closure of more than 2,500 schools and learning spaces in North and South Kivu provinces, leaving 795,000 children out of school, up from 465,000 in December 2024, according to UNICEF.
Jean Francois Basse, UNICEF Acting Representative in the Congo described the situation as catastrophic for the affected children.
“It is education and all the support it offers that allows children to return to a semblance of normal life, to rebuild their lives and to look to the future after this conflict,” he said in a statement.
Recent UN data shows that more than 6.5 million people, including 2.6 million children, have been forced to flee their homes in the restive region of Congo.
Jacques Matata, a child rights activist, warned that with the conflict still ongoing many children may never return to school.
“Even before the recent escalation of violence, thousands of children in the east were struggling to go to school following their displacements, killing many children’s dreams,” Matata told Anadolu.
More than 1.6 million children in eastern Congo are currently out of school, including in Ituri province, according to UNICEF.
As part of its global humanitarian appeal, the UN agency is seeking $52 million to meet the urgent education needs of 480,000 children.
The agency called on all parties to the conflict to respect schools and civilian infrastructure, in line with their obligations under international law, and to immediately cease all military use of educational facilities.
M23, an ethnic Tutsi-led rebel group, formed in 2012 is one of the multiple rebel groups fighting in eastern Congo.
The latest heavy fighting between the M23 rebels and government forces which erupted in eastern North Kivu province has expanded in South Kivu province.
Last Friday, the rebels entered the south Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu after capturing Kavumu airport, located 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the provincial capital.
Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels and sending forces to eastern Congo when the latest offensive began, which Kigali has repeatedly denied.
