Monday, July 27, 2020

Armed violence in Ituri displaces about 1.6 million civilians;noted UNICEF.

Armed violence in the territories of Djugu, Mahagi and Irumu has displaced 1.6 million people, mostly women and children, UNICEF said in a statement on Monday (July 27th).
“The situation of children is particularly worrying, since 151 allegations of serious violations of children's rights, such as rape, murder and mutilation, attacks on schools and health centers have been recorded since May to June 2020.”, the statement said.
UNICEF has identified 165 schools destroyed in conflict zones and fears school wastage on the eve of the resumption of classes that were suspended following the covid-19 pandemic.
“While the Congolese Government's demobilization and reconciliation efforts have revived hopes for peace in Ituri, thousands of internally displaced families and children lack access to basic services, education and health care. Many students may not have a place to study at the start of the school year next week, because 165 of them have been destroyed since January 2020, "the agency said.
This is how UNICEF claims to have "provided access to education for more than one million children who are out of school due to COVID-19. Children can access distance education through 57 community radios or printed textbooks. UNICEF distributed 24,000 workbooks and more than 1,000 solar-powered radios to vulnerable children. "
These displaced people have found refuge in host communities and already overcrowded displacement sites in and around Bunia, the capital of the province.
In addition, some 100,000 children and their families have benefited from food assistance. Dozens of children have either been reunited with their families, placed with foster families, or disassociated from armed groups. There are 9,992 malnourished children in Ituri today, UNICEF said.

No comments:

Post a Comment