Over 200,000 children affected by DR Congo conflict – UNDP

Children are the worst hit in the conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Over 200,000 children have been affected by the conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), the Head of Communication for the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, Florence Marchal, has said.

Mr.  Marchal, who spoke in Kinshasa during the weekly news briefing by the UN Mission for Stabilization of Congo, MONUSCO, said that 19 children were killed in the region in August.

“On October 4, DR Congo and the UNICEF signed an action plan meant to put to an end to the serious violations of children’s rights by the DR Congo Armed Forces (FARDC) and other security forces.

“The first meeting of the technical working group for the implementation of the action plan will take place on Dec. 20,” Mr. Marchal said.

The UNDP communication official said 10 children were killed in 2011, majority of them by the FARDC