The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a warning over escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its impact on children.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in DRC as M23 rebels continue to attack and seize control of towns and villages.

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, in a statement on Thursday, expressed deep concern over the devastating impact on children and families.

“In North and South Kivu provinces, we are receiving horrific reports of grave violations against children by parties to the conflict.

“These include rape and other forms of sexual violence at levels surpassing anything we have seen in recent years,” she said.

The crisis is spreading beyond the Kivus.

In Ituri province, at least 28 children were among 52 people killed in a brutal attack in Djugu territory on Monday, according to international NGO, Save the Children.

The attackers reportedly used machetes, guns, and fire, targeting families, including many women and children.

Homes were burned to the ground with some trapped inside.

With violence intensifying, UNICEF warns that child recruitment, abduction, and sexual violence is rapidly increasing.

During the week of  Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, when the Rwanda-backed M23 group captured the regional capital Goma, the number of rape cases treated at 42 UNICEF-supported health centres surged five-fold in just one week.

Children accounted for 30 per cent of those receiving treatment.

“The true figures are likely much higher because so many survivors are reluctant to come forward.

“Our partners are running out of the drugs used to reduce the risk of HIV infection after a sexual assault,” Russell said.

At the same time, children are increasingly being separated from their families, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.

In just two weeks, over 1,100 unaccompanied children were identified in North and South Kivu, with numbers continuing to rise.

Even before the latest escalation, child recruitment into armed groups was a major concern.

A UN report last year documented at least 4,006 cases of children recruited or used by armed groups.

“Now, with parties to the conflict calling for the mobilization of young fighters, recruitment rates will likely accelerate,” Russell warned.

She cited reports that children as young as 12 were being recruited or coerced into joining armed groups.

“Parties to the conflict must immediately cease and prevent grave rights violations against children.

“They must also take concrete measures to protect civilians and infrastructure critical to their survival in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law,” she urged.

The violence is also exacting a terrible toll on pregnant women.

Many of them have been forced to flee multiple times, seeking refuge in overcrowded displacement camps with little access to medical care, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned.

Some women are going into labour while fleeing bombardments or forced to deliver babies in makeshift shelters without medical care.

Even before the current crisis, maternal health care in DRC was severely limited, with the country already among those with the highest maternal mortality rates globally.

Now, only a third of hospitals and one in five health centres remain functional, leaving UNFPA’s mobile clinics as the only lifeline for many expectant mothers, the UN agency said.

Of the estimated 220,000 pregnant women in North and South Kivu, over 12,000 are currently displaced with no assured medical care.

More than 88,000 women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence, while unintended pregnancies are expected to rise due to the collapse of health services.

UNFPA is operating eight mobile health clinics in the region, staffed by 27 midwives providing critical maternal and reproductive health services.

In spite of the challenges, these teams are ensuring safe deliveries, prenatal care, and family planning support for over 8,000 people.

“UNFPA remains in North Kivu, working alongside the government and humanitarian partners to ensure women and girls receive life-saving care, but the needs are growing faster than resources can keep up,” the agency said.

“There are thousands of other women bracing for childbirth in tents, under bombardment, unsure if they or their babies will survive the night.” (NAN)