Help the children of the Congo

Gasigwa's story: “I am ten years old and have come from Rugari. My mother and father are dead so I came here by myself. … I left Rugari because I was frightened by the clashes when the armed forces came.

“My biggest fear is the fighting — especially bullets. My favourite things are food and clothes. I don’t have any clothes apart from these ones, and I don’t think they’re going to last very long because I’ve been wearing them for a long time now.”

Photo: Kate Holt/Save the Children

A Save the Children staff member calms a little boy that has been separated from his parents while fleeing from the fighting. Many children have become separated from their families and are at risk of being recruited by the armed forces. We're scaling up our child protection work in the area. Photo: Benedicte Kurzen/Save the Children

A young girl wears a red shawl to protect her from the cold. Her family has been displaced, along with thousands of others. She and her family are sleeping outdoors, with no shelter to protect them from the elements or the fighting. Thousands of people were displaced from their villages two weeks ago north of Goma, and forced to flee to IDP settlements in Kibati.

Photo: Kate Holt/Save the Children

Children are absolutely petrified and are without any protection. Thousands are now trying to cope on their own in the open, having fled the violence. They have seen their homes burned; their families attacked, and are traumatised by the fighting.

Corinne, 17, was abducted and raped during the war three years ago. As a result of the rape she gave birth to her daughter. She missed out on school and now attends Save the Children supported vocational training centre. Her hope for the future is to open her own restaurant. Now, with the escalated fighting she, and others like her risk being forced to join a conflict that is not of their making.

Fighters from all sides are using children in combat, forcing them straight onto the frontline where they are expected to kill, act as spies or carry dangerous, heavy weaponry.

Girls are at high risk of being abducted, raped and sexually abused.

Mursal, Save the Children programme worker, said:
"Children are sleeping on the road with no shelter, no clean water, and with very little food. World leaders must act urgently to bring pressure to stop the fighting in DRC, protect civilians and stop children from being recruited."