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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
KINSHASA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — More than 500,000 people, including over 100,000 children, have been forced to flee their homes since December 1 due to intense fighting in South Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Sunday.
In a statement, UNICEF said it was “deeply alarmed” by the rapid escalation of fighting in South Kivu, which has forced hundreds of thousands of children and families to flee for safety to other parts of the DRC, as well as to neighboring Burundi and Rwanda.
UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to protect children and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
The number of displaced people is expected to rise, UNICEF said, noting that hundreds of people, including at least four children, have been killed since December 2 in heavy fighting in South Kivu.
A sudden influx of people fleeing violence was also recorded in neighboring Burundi. Between December 6 and 11, more than 50,000 new arrivals were registered, nearly half of whom were children. This figure is expected to increase as authorities continue to identify asylum seekers, UNICEF reported.
Earlier this week, the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) announced it had captured Uvira, the second-largest city in South Kivu near the border with Burundi, in the latest round of offensive operations in the province.
Analysts and local sources warn that the loss of Uvira could eventually open a corridor into provinces in the southeast of the DRC, including Haute-Katanga, a key economic region, as clashes between M23 militants and DRC government forces have also been reported further south, in the Baraka and Fizi districts. –0–
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