DRC: UNICEF horrified by attack on camp for displaced people in Ituri province
The United Nations Children’s Organization (UNICEF) has expressed its horror following the attack on a camp for displaced people in the early hours of June 12, 2023 in the province of Ituri, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Rebels identified with the CODECO militia attacked the Lala IDP camp, killing more than 45 people, including 23 children. UNICEF lamented that already vulnerable civilians are being targeted, leaving children traumatized and in a precarious situation. Since the beginning of 2023, the situation has become alarming in eastern DRC, where armed groups are targeting civilians, schools and hospitals.
The conflict in Ituri has persisted since 2017, and the DRC now ranks second among provinces with the highest number of UN-verified grave violations against children. Following this attack, UNICEF provided care for children who lost their parents and families, and provides psychological support to injured children and their parents. Through its Rapid Response Mechanism, 800 shelters will be made available to affected families within 72 hours.
UNICEF and its partners in Ituri estimate that more than 5,000 children were directly affected by the attack, having lost their parents, siblings, homes and possessions, toys and school supplies. Congolese authorities are called upon to take concrete measures to put an end to this worrying situation, protect children and vulnerable communities, and bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice