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CARE, Nairobi, Kenya, – 15, JUL 2024 – Persistent fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is fueling a devastating and underreported humanitarian crisis. Women and girls are enduring the worst of the suffering as reports of sexual and physical violence against them have alarmingly increased. With over 7.3 million people displaced and 25.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, more than half of whom are women and girls, every day is a struggle to survive.
“We face unimaginable horrors daily, enduring relentless violence, exploitation, and suffering that tear at the very fabric of our existence,” said Nelly Kongo, founder of Congolese Families for Joy and CARE’s partner. “Women who are raped cannot speak of their ordeal to anyone for fear of being stigmatized or ridiculed. Others are forced into marriages to combatants or coerced into prostitution to survive. Young girls are also being driven into sex work to support their families. Due to a lack of proper shelter, many families are sleeping outside, exposing children to the risk of kidnapping, while women face sexually transmitted diseases and infections due to rampant sexual violence. The situation is dire and will continue to deteriorate unless urgent action is taken.”
In and around displacement camps in Lushagala and Kanyarucinya where CARE DRC and its partners operate, there has been an alarming rise in reports of sexual and physical violence against women. Women have reported attacks by combatants, as well as their intimate partners. On average, 20 cases are reported daily, with over 90% of victims being women and girls. However, we know this is the tip of the iceberg.
Many girls can’t go to school and are forced to work in brothels, which have increased in number in and around the camps, to earn as little as $1 a day to support their families. Reports of survival sex and rape of children have risen in these areas. Additionally, some parents in Lushagala and Kanyarucinya have pushed their young daughters to get married, increasing rates of early and unwanted pregnancies.
Lack of access to clean water and overflowing toilets put women and girls at increased risk of disease and sexual violence as they travel longer distances in search of water. DRC has one of the worst food crises in the world. Malnutrition threatens over 2.8 million children and 605,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women due to insufficient food. As a result, women are often left with no other choice than reverting to harmful coping mechanisms to feed their families, including eating less and less often.
“The reality for women and girls in the DRC is a living nightmare,” said Sidibe Kadidia CARE DRC Country Director. “There’s an urgent need for increased gender-responsive humanitarian aid that prioritizes the protection, health, and economic empowerment of women and girls. Yet, a massive funding gap threatens DRC’s humanitarian response as only 26% of the critical 2024 plan is currently funded. We welcome the announcement of a humanitarian truce and call on all parties to work to make it a sustained ceasefire.”
“We also urge the international community to prioritize the specific needs of women and girls, especially to respond to Gender Violence and Sexual Violence survivors’ needs. This must include promoting women and girls’ full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation and leadership in decision-making processes, holding perpetrators of violence accountable, and increasing quality and direct funding for local women-led organizations that are the pillars of the response, working in extremely difficult circumstances, often risking their own lives.”
Unimpeded access is crucial to ending the suffering of women and girls in the DRC. CARE demands safe passage for humanitarian aid to deliver critical support, empower communities, and equip them with essential skills for food security. Investing in women protects them from exploitation and violence. Additionally, safe spaces for survivors to heal and access psychosocial support are crucial. A brighter future for the DRC is within reach but requires a multi-pronged approach and collective action.