About 120,000 children have been forced from their homes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the start of the year as a wave of horrifying violence hits villages, with some children becoming separated from their parents and one town cut off, said Save the Children.
On Sunday, several bombs exploded in the town of Chebumba, killing at least two adults and wounding four children. The town of Minova in South Kivu, where Save the Children operates through partners, was attacked on Tuesday, routes out of the town were cut off, and access to humanitarian aid was blocked. Staff reported children injured and unaccompanied children desperately searching for their parents.
David Okoni works at a Save the Children partner organisation which operates in the town of Minova, 45km from Goma city. On Tuesday, heaving fighting took place in the town. David said, “Around 5:00 a.m., gunfire started echoing through Minova, sending people fleeing in all directions.
“Most were already displaced people having previously fled conflicts and were sheltering in Minova. Many attempted to reach Goma across the lake, but as boats stopped operating, people were left stranded without adequate shelter and forced to sleep in schools, under the open sky, and even in a warehouse.
“The situation is dire. Parents have no food or clean water for their children, and those wounded by bullets remain without medical care as healthcare workers have also fled to save their lives. Our staff have already encountered unaccompanied and separated children desperately searching for their parents, though the full extent of the crisis is still unknown.
“Currently, there is no access to the area as boats are no longer crossing the lake. It is urgent that civilians who wish to leave can do so and that humanitarian aid can reach the displaced families who are in desperate need of assistance.”
The eastern provinces of North and South Kivu are home to more than 4.6 million displaced people and have witnessed an intense increase in fighting since the start of 2025.
More than 230,000 people have been newly displaced, according to the United Nations, with a spike in violence over the past week in the towns of Bweremana and Minova. According to the UN, some 113 people have been injured and hospitalised in various health facilities around Goma as the violence continues.
Conflict in DRC has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with nearly seven million people, including at least 3.5 million children, displaced and more than 26 million people – or one in every four people – in need of humanitarian assistance.
Greg Ramm, Save the Children’s Country Director for DRC, said, “Children are getting caught in the crossfire, and time is running out for them. Humanitarian access has been blocked to the already vulnerable populations.
“We urge all parties involved in the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians and ensure unrestricted humanitarian access. We reiterate our call on the international community to take immediate action to address the rapidly unfolding humanitarian crisis in the DRC. This includes providing emergency assistance to those displaced, supporting efforts to protect civilians and working towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”
