International non-governmental organisation, Save the Children, has reported a dramatic surge in child sexual abuse cases among Congolese refugees fleeing renewed violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, describing the situation as “horrifying.”
The charity said it has documented more than three times as many cases as it did a year ago.
One 16-year-old girl, now living in a refugee camp in neighbouring Burundi, told the charity, “Armed men entered our house and raped me, my sister, and my mother. It’s very hard to look my mother in the eye after what happened, but it’s also very difficult for our mother to talk to us about it.”
The resurgence of conflict in the eastern DR Congo earlier this year has driven tens of thousands from their homes. The fighting has been fuelled by the Rwandan-backed M23 militia, which has seized large areas of territory.
Since January, over 71,000 Congolese refugees have crossed into Burundi, itself one of the world’s poorest countries, already grappling with existing waves of displaced people.
Save the Children recorded 478 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) between January and June, representing a 249 per cent increase from the previous year. Of these, 172 victims were children, with most cases involving rape.
“For the last few months, I have heard horrifying stories of children being raped together with their parents and mothers being raped in front of their children,” said Nadege Nizigama, a child protection and GBV case worker for Save the Children in Burundi.
The charity warned that the true extent of the abuse is likely far worse, as many survivors remain too fearful or ashamed to come forward.
“Tragically, we know the number of cases we have registered is just a drop in the ocean,” said Geoffrey Kirenga, Save the Children’s country director for Burundi.
Despite operating in Burundi for nearly a decade, the organisation says its ability to help survivors is now under severe threat following funding cuts from the United States and other Western donors. Essential supplies such as diapers, sanitary pads, underpants, and soap for GBV survivors are increasingly scarce.
“The funding gaps we’re now facing could force us to close down programmes that are a lifeline to children and families in dire need,” Kirenga warned.
