UNICEF / DRC CONFLICT CHILDREN

STORY: UNICEF / DRC CONFLICT CHILDREN
TRT: 05:02
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNICEF ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: NATS

DATELINE: 2023, SITE FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE IN RHOE, ITURI PROVINCE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

SHOTLIST:

1. Aerial shot, IDP site
2. Wide shot, IDP site
3. Wide shot, group of girls draw water from a tap installed by UNICEF
4. Close up, group of girls collect water from a UNICEF-installed tap.
5. Wide shot, IDP site
6. Traveling shot, IDP site
7. Wide shot, IDP site
8. Med shot, shelter in IDP site during the rain
9. Med shot, public toilets at the IDP site
10. Med shot, public toilets at the IDP site
11. Wide shot, IDP site
12. Med shot, girl walking in the rain at IDP site
13. Med shot, IDP site
14. Med shot, IDP site
15. Med shot, IDP site
16. Med shot, girl drawing water from the rain to drink at IDP site
17. Med shot, young girl walking in the rain at IDP site
18. Wide shot, classroom made up of displaced pupils and teachers
19. Close up, pupil writing in his notebook in his classroom
20. Med shot, student writes on the blackboard
21. Med shot, teacher gives a lesson in a classroom
22. Close up, student follows his teacher attentively
23. Wide shot, classroom made up of pupils and teacher being moved around.

STORYLINE:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is on track to have record levels of verified grave violations against children for a third consecutive year in 2023.

Intensifying violence, massive displacement, and proximity of armed groups to communities are leading to an alarming increase in cases of killing, maiming, and abduction of children in DRC. If trends continue, the country is on track to reach new highs since the United Nations Monitoring and Reporting mechanism started in 2005, and surpassing records set in 2022.

Latest data shows there has been a 41 percent increase in the number of verified grave violations against children in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period a year ago. There were 3,377 grave violations against 2,420 children in all of 2022, according to the June 2023 Children and Armed Conflict - Report of the Secretary-General.

Recruitment and use of children in armed groups has spiked by 45 percent in the first six months of the year. In 2022, 1,545 children – some as young as 5 years old – were verified as having been recruited and used by armed groups. Killing and maiming of children was up 32 percent in the same period, compared to 699 cases last year.

Rape and other acts of sexual violence against children and abduction of children are also on an upward trajectory. In both 2021 and 2022, DRC had the world’s highest levels of verified cases of sexual violence against children committed by armed forces and armed groups. Moreover, in 2022, 730 children were verified as abducted, making it the highest number of abductions ever verified by the United Nations in the DRC.

Since violence flared in October 2022, 1.5 million people have been forced to flee for their lives in eastern DRC, taking them away from their homes, livelihoods and communities, and children away from their schools. There is a total of 6.1 million displaced people in eastern DRC.

In response to increasing violations and the urgent needs, UNICEF has provided more than 100,000 children with mental health and psychosocial support services and has assisted more than 6,300 survivors of gender-based violence since the beginning of the year. Despite that, UNICEF has received only 11 per cent of funds required for its child protection response under UNICEF’s emergency appeal in eastern DRC, meaning most needs are going unmet.