Recent discussions on the supervision of displaced children from North and South Kivu in Kinshasa have sparked the interest and commitment of President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi. When receiving these children at the Mont Ngaliema residence on December 3, 2024, the Head of State was deeply touched by their story and their precarious situation. This meeting was the starting point for an ambitious initiative aimed at establishing a specific national policy for the supervision of displaced children and victims of war by June 2025.
The objective of this policy is clear: to provide appropriate care for these vulnerable children and open up prospects for their future. Indeed, these children are not only direct victims of conflicts, but they are also witnesses to traumatic scenes that can have a lasting impact on their lives.
President Tshisekedi stressed the urgency of acting to preserve the future of these wounded youth. With more than half of those affected by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo being children, it is imperative to put in place concrete measures to ensure their well-being and safety.
The humanitarian situation in the eastern provinces of the country is alarming. Violence, instability and lack of basic services continue to weigh heavily on the Congolese population, with more than 25 million people requiring humanitarian assistance. Massive displacement of populations, particularly women and children, has become commonplace, accentuating the precariousness of living conditions in these disaster areas.
Despite this major humanitarian crisis, the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a chronic funding gap, with only 35% of the humanitarian response plan covered in 2024. This underfunding situation worsens the distress of the affected populations, leaving many families in a situation of extreme vulnerability.
Faced with this alarming reality, the establishment of a national policy for the supervision of displaced children and victims of war appears to be a necessary and urgent step. It is essential to guarantee adequate care for these young people in distress, to offer them a secure environment and opportunities to rebuild their lives.
In conclusion, President Tshisekedi’s initiative to develop a national policy for the supervision of displaced children and victims of war is a positive step in the right direction. It is essential that this policy be implemented in a concerted, effective and sustainable manner to meet the essential needs of these wounded youth and contribute to building a more promising future for the Democratic Republic of Congo.