Long-term violence in eastern DRC is causing permanent damage to children’s physical and mental health, says new World Vision report
• More than a third of children surveyed describe experiencing or witnessing violence in eastern DRC, new report shows
• Nearly every child interviewed in eastern DRC had been forced to flee their home at least once
• The consequences of long-term conflict like this – and in Syria and Central African Republic – include the potential for permanent changes to a child’s brain structure, increasing the risk of mental illness and heart, liver and lung disease in adulthood
A generation of children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are at risk of permanent physical and psychological damage as a result of persistent conflict, a new report by aid agency World Vision finds.
More than a third (36%) of children interviewed for No One To Turn To had experienced or witnessed violence first hand, often extreme and graphic in nature, and 38 per cent said they were scared on a daily basis.
The organisations says that children living in areas regularly rocked by bloody and brutal conflicts are developing in an environment of toxic stress, potentially altering their brain structures and leading to a host of life-long illnesses.
“It’s no surprise that this conflict is affecting children, but even we were shocked at the extent we found when we looked into it. It is heartbreaking,” says Frances Charles, Advocacy Manager for World Vision Eastern DRC.
“The atrocities children spoke of – seeing their parents’ killed, fleeing their home, being attacked – are committed so frequently that many regard it as a normal part of daily life,” says Ms Charles.
The continual violence, and their exposure to it, can alter their brain’s architecture, potentially having a lasting impact on their learning abilities, memories and emotional control, along with leading to an increased risk of mental illness and heart, liver and lung disease in adulthood.
“Every time a bullet is fired, every time a new peak in the conflict hits, we know that these children are at further risk of suffering long-term impact,” says Ms Charles.
“They usually witness unspeakable horrors and have no home or family to turn to. We know how vital it is that they receive support, protection and loving, caring relationships now so to prevent permanent damage as they grow.”
More than 1.5 million people have fled their homes in eastern DRC, and almost every child World Vision interviewed for the report (96%) has been forced from their home, many more than once. But the organisation believes another reality is possible.
In Their Own Words
“I am always afraid since I was raped. Every time I hear a loud noise, like a plate dropping, it grabs my heart. I am always scared because there is always conflict,” said 14-year-old Laini.
“I heard gunshots and fled with my mother. I was ahead of my Mum and they killed her. Then, on the journey, two armed men raped me and I became pregnant,” described Mapendo, 16.
“Armed men arrive. I saw them take adults and tie their arms and feet with their clothes, and then beat their heads with hammers,” said Patrick, 12.
“We are most afraid of rape because it is not only by one person – it can be more than ten people or by armed men who have taken drugs, and we are just little girls,” said Zabibu, 14.
ENDS
Notes to editors
• Copies of the report, accompanying case studies, photos, footage, infographics or interviews with spokespeople in Goma are available from World Vision on request.
• World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.