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Denied a childhood

2017-08-08

In one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s poorest regions, the future of an entire generation of children is at risk.

In August 2016, fighting oke out in Kasai — one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) poorest regions, after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. As the crisis escalated in 2017, violence spread to nine of the country’s 26 provinces, with devastating results for children. Children have been killed, maimed and used in combat and at least 850,000 displaced.

A child suffering from malnutrition is feeding himself with Plumpy Nut - ready-to-use therapeutic food - offered by UNICEF to the health center of Tshinyama, a village near Miabi, located 30 km north-west of Mbuji-mayi, in the direction of Kananga, in the province of Kasai Orientale, in the south Of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region plagued by conflict between the militia of the traditional leader Kamuina Nsapu and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) since June 2016. - Un enfant souffrant de malnutrition se nourrit de « Plumpy Nut », de la nourriture thérapeutique prête à l'emploi, offerte par l'UNICEF au centre de santé de Tshinyama, un petit village proche de Miabi, situé à 30 km au nord-ouest de Mbuji-mayi, en direction de Kananga, dans la province du Kasaï Orientale, au sud de la République démocratique du Congo, une région en proie aux conflits entre les miliciens du chef traditionnel Kamuina Nsapu et les Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) depuis juin 2016. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

©UNICEF/UN073296/Dubourthoumieu

A child suffering from malnutrition eats ready-to-use therapeutic food provided by UNICEF at the health centre in Tshinyama village, May 2017. As of July 2017, UNICEF and its partners have treated 2,734 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, but 400,000 remain at risk.

Chief Tshibambula Tshipanba Ntalaja is posing in a classroom at the school of the village of Tshibambula, 16 km southeast of Kananga, capital of the Kasai province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since November 2016, the village found itself in the midst of the fighting between the militia of the traditional chief Kamuina Nsapu and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC). Since June 2016, the village was supported by UNICEF through the

©UNICEF/UN073250/Dubourthoumieu

“The militias threatened the students and the teachers. They forbade the students from resuming classes”, says chief Tshipanba Ntalaja, standing in a damaged classroom at the school in Tshibambula village, May 2017.

Tshinyama Primary School is one of four schools plundered during the clashes between Kamuina Nsapu movement rebels and the police in March 2017 in Nganza commune, 4km from Kamina, the capital of Kasai province Occidental, Democratic Republic of the Congo. - L'école primaire Tshinyama est l'une des quatre écoles pillées lors des affrontements entre les rebelles du mouvement Kamuina Nsapu et les forces de l'ordre en mars 2017 dans la commune de Nganza, à 4km de Kamina, capitale de la province du Kasaï Occidental, en République Démocratique du Congo. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

©UNICEF/UN073238/Dubourthoumieu

As of June 2017, field staff have documented attacks on 404 schools. Many other schools are now occupied by displaced people and military. More than 150,000 children are missing out on school. A primary school classroom which was looted during clashes in March between the militia and security forces, in Tshinyama, May 2017.

Children demobilized from the militia of the traditional chief Kamuina Nsapu eat food in a Transit and Orientation Centre run by the local NGO BNCE (Children Catholic National Bureau) , supported by the UNICEF, in Kananga, capital of the Western Kasai province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. - Des enfants soldats démobilisés, issus de la milice du chef traditionnel Kamuina Nsapu, préparent des gâteaux au Centre de Transit et d'Orientation de l'association congolaise BNCE (Bureau National Catholique pour l'Enfance), soutenu par l'UNICEF, à Kananga, capitale du Kasaï Occidental, en République Démocratique du Congo. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

©UNICEF/UN073206/Dubourthoumieu

Children demobilized from the militia of the traditional leader eat food in a Transit and Orientation Centre run by a UNICEF-supported local NGO, in Kananga, May 2017. Between 40% and 60% of the militia members are children, often younger than 15, which constitutes a war crime.

Demobilized child soldiers from the militia of the traditional chief Kamuina Nsapu are studying gardening in a Transit and Orientation Centre run by the local NGO BNCE (Children Catholic National Bureau) , supported by the UNICEF, in Kananga, capital of the Western Kasai province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. - Des enfants soldats démobilisés, issus de la milice du chef traditionnel Kamuina Nsapu, participent à une formation technique au jardinage au Centre de Transit et d'Orientation de l'association congolaise BNCE (Bureau National Catholique pour l'Enfance), soutenu par l'UNICEF, à Kananga, capitale du Kasaï Occidental, en République Démocratique du Congo. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

©UNICEF/UN073214/Dubourthoumieu

UNICEF and its partners provide children released from militias with urgent medical care and psychosocial support, as well as family tracing and reunification. At the Transit and Orientation Centre in Kananga in May 2017, demobilized child soldiers attend a vocational gardening course.

Community relays are maintaining UNICEF-built latrines and showers at the Tshinyama health center, a village near Miabi, located 30 km north-west of Mbuji-mayi, in the direction of Kananga, in the province of Kasai Orientale, in the south Of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region plagued by conflict between the militia of the traditional leader Kamuina Nsapu and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) since June 2016. - Des relais communautaire entretiennent les blocs de latrines et de douches construits par l'UNICEF au centre de santé de Tshinyama, un petit village proche de Miabi, situé à 30 km au nord-ouest de Mbuji-mayi, en direction de Kananga, dans la province du Kasaï Orientale, au sud de la République Démocratique du Congo, une région en proie aux conflits entre les miliciens du chef traditionnel Kamuina Nsapu et les Forces Armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) depuis juin 2016. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

©UNICEF/UN073298/Dubourthoumieu

Community volunteers maintain UNICEF-built latrines and showers, a key means of protecting against cholera and other water-borne diseases, at the health centre in Tshinyama, May 2017.

Students of the Citolo Primary School in Kabea Kamwanga, a small town 70 km north-west of Mbuji-Mayi, are following a remedial class organized by the UNICEF in order for them to prepare their end of the school year examination. The students of Kabea Kamwanga had to flee the violence that oke out between militiamen of the traditional chief Kamuina Nsapu and the Armed Forces of the DRC on October 15th, 2016 and were only able to resume classes in March thanks to the support of the UNICEF. As part of its emergency program in Kasai, the UNICEF is supporting 3,500 children to take the national end of primary school test, offering remedial classes, school supplies and uniforms. - Des élèves de l'école primaire Citolo de Kabea Kamwanga, une petite ville située à 70 km au nord-ouest de Mbuji-Mayi, suivent un cours de rattrapage scolaire organisé par l'UNICEF pour leur permettre de préparer leur examen d'Etat en fin d'année scolaire. Les élèves de Kabea Kamwanga ont dû fuir les violences qui ont éclatées entre miliciens du chef traditionnel Kamuina Nsapu et les Forces Armées de la RDC le 15 octoe 2016, et n'ont pu reprendre les cours qu'en mars grâce à l'appui de l'UNICEF. Dans le cadre de son programme d'urgence au Kasaï, l'UNICEF appuie 3500 enfants pour leur permettre de passer le test national de fin d'études primaires, en leur offrant des cours de rattrapage, du matériel scolaire et des uniformes. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

Students attend a remedial class organized by UNICEF to prepare their end of school year examination at the Citolo Primary School in Kabea Kamwanga, May 2017. Forced to flee violence in October 2016, the students were only able to resume their education in March 2017 with UNICEF support.

Le 20 mai 2017, une femme lit le carnet de santé de son enfant lors d'une session de vaccination de routine dans un quartier de Kabea Kamwanga, une petite ville située à 70 km au nord-ouest de Mbuji-mayi, en direction de Kananga, dans la province du Kasaï Orientale, au sud de la République démocratique du Congo, une région en proie aux conflits entre les miliciens du chef traditionnel Kamuina Nsapu et les Forces Armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) depuis juin 2016. / On May 20th, 2017, a woman is reading the health record of her child during a routine immunization session in a neighborhood of Kabea Kamwanga, a small town located 70 km north-west of Mbuji-mayi, in the direction of Kananga, in the province of Kasai Orientale, in the south Of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region plagued by conflict between the militia of the traditional leader Kamuina Nsapu and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) since June 2016. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

Widespread conflict across Kasaï has cut children off from health services, greatly increasing their vulnerability to illness and death. Routine immunizations, such as the one these mothers and their children are waiting for in Kabea Kamwanga in May 2017, help protect children against disease.

A nurse is screening for cases of malnutrition in the health center of Tshinyama, a village near Miabi, located 30 km north-west of Mbuji-mayi, in the direction of Kananga, in the province of Kasai Orientale, in the south Of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region plagued by conflict between the militia of the traditional leader Kamuina Nsapu and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) since June 2016. - Un infirmier effectue le dépistage de cas de malnutrition dans le centre de santé de Tshinyama, un petit village proche de Miabi, situé à 30 km au nord-ouest de Mbuji-Mayi, en direction de Kananga, dans la province du Kasaï Orientale, au sud de la République Démocratique du Congo, une région en proie aux conflits entre les miliciens du chef traditionnel Kamuina Nsapu et les Forces Armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) depuis juin 2016. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

A nurse screens a child for malnutrition at the health centre of Tshinyama, May 2017. As well as providing therapeutic food to children in nutritional centres, UNICEF trains community workers to screen children for severe acute malnutrition and refer them for treatment.

Children are carrying water from a source built by the UNICEF in Tshinyama, a village near Miabi, located 30 km north-west of Mbuji-mayi, in the direction of Kananga, in the province of Kasai Orientale, in the south Of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region plagued by conflict between the militia of the traditional leader Kamuina Nsapu and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) since June 2016. - Des enfants transportent de l'eau d'une source aménagée par l'UNICEF à Tshinyama, un petit village proche de Miabi, situé à 30 km au nord-ouest de Mbuji-Mayi, en direction de Kananga, dans la province du Kasaï Orientale, au sud de la République Démocratique du Congo, une région en proie aux conflits entre les miliciens du chef traditionnel Kamuina Nsapu et les Forces Armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) depuis juin 2016. In August 2016, fighting oke out in one of the Democratic Republic of Congos (DRC) poorest regions - Kasai - after a traditional leader was killed in clashes with security forces. The situation deteriorated in 2017, unleashing a wave of violence that has now engulfed nine of the countrys 26 provinces.

Children carry containers filled with water drawn from a UNICEF-built water point in Tshinyama, May 2017. Unless violence in the Kasai region comes to halt, the future of an entire generation of children is at risk.

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