DR Congo violence leaves 850,000 children displaced: UNICEF

‘Children in central Democratic Republic of Congo are bearing the brunt of violence between the army and a local militia which has uprooted at least 1.4 million people over the past year, the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) said on Friday.
Six in 10 of those forced to flee their homes in the conflict-ravaged Kasai region – about 850,000 – are children, leaving them prey to attack, detention, sexual violence, and recruitment by militia fighters, according to the UN agency.
More than 3,300 people have been killed in Kasai since the start of an insurrection in August by the Kamuina Nsapu militia, which wants the withdrawal of military forces from the area.
Kasai is the scene of a growing humanitarian disaster in a nation where violence has spiraled since President Joseph Kabila refused to step down when his mandate ended in December.
“The crisis is having a devastating impact on children,” UNICEF representative Tajudeen Oyewale said in a statement.’
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