UN raises alarm over 'sickening’ levels of sexual violence in DRC

people flee goma drc m23

War-displaced people flee towards the city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on November 15, 2022.

Photo credit: Photo I Pool

What you need to know:

  • UN Special Representative Pramila Pattern says she is troubled by allegations of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by armed men and displaced men.
  • More than 38,000 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were reported by Unicef last year in North Kivu alone. 
  • Humanitarian actors have so far provided assistance to over 600 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in six IDP camps over two weeks in a volatile security environment.

UN Special Representative Pramila Pattern has expressed concern over alleged sexual violence against women and girls in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps around Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Ms Pattern, in a statement, said she is troubled by serious allegations of conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by armed men and displaced men. She said the cases are a matter of profound concern and require immediate action.

“I am deeply troubled by serious allegations of conflict-related sexual violence in IDP camps around Goma, perpetrated by armed men, who have targeted women and girls attempting to return to their homes or as they carry out their daily livelihood activities, including collecting firewood, food or water,” said Ms Pattern.

More than 38,000 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were reported by Unicef last year in North Kivu alone. Humanitarian actors have so far provided assistance to over 600 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in six IDP camps over two weeks in a volatile security environment.

Women and girls are disproportionately affected in the cases reported by humanitarian partners, and a large number of victims have not accessed life-saving services, including Post-Exposure Prophylaxis kits, during the crucial 72-hour window after an attack.

Ms Pattern said urgent medical and psychosocial assistance is needed, accompanied by protection measures, to ensure women and girls fleeing conflict can access services and are not placed at further risk of sexual violence. The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC is liaising with humanitarian partners and other United Nations actors to document the allegations and provide necessary support to victims.

Displacements

This year, as a result of an alarming resurgence of violence generated by armed groups, 5.8 million people have been displaced across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika in east DRC, according to UNHCR. Armed clashes resulting in the killing of civilians have triggered forced displacements of hundreds of thousands of people.

Many find themselves unable to satisfy their most urgent needs without humanitarian assistance. According to UNHCR, nearly 5.8 million people need emergency assistance. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in eastern DRC.

In January 2023 alone, more than 200 civilians were killed in Ituri in a series of attacks by non-state armed groups, which also destroyed 2,000 houses and closed or demolished 80 schools. At least 52,000 people were displaced at a time when the province was already hosting 1.5 million IDPs.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring North Kivu, dramatic resurgence of attacks by armed groups began in March 2022, causing more than 521,000 people to flee. Some 120,000 people have moved to the relatively safe outskirts of the provincial capital of Goma but remain in desperate need. In total, 2.2 million people are displaced in the province.

As the chair of UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, the 24-member UN inter-agency coordination network, Ms Pattern reiterated her call to all parties in the conflict to immediately cease every form of sexual violence and end hostilities.

“I call on all parties to respect their commitments to peace and security, and to formally condemn all forms of sexual violence in line with the 2013 Joint Communiqué to address conflict-related sexual violence and its 2019 Addendum.”

Support

She urged the government to ensure the police secures all IDP camps in accordance with their primary obligation to protect civilians under international humanitarian law and their responsibilities to respect, protect, and fulfil human rights obligations. She also challenged the authorities to work closely with the UN to ensure the safety of civilians and to ensure that perpetrators of sexual violence are identified and prosecuted.

The UN official called on donors to allocate resources for an emergency response to ensure protection and immediate holistic assistance and multisectoral services to survivors, as per Security Council Resolution 2467 (2019).

The conflict has gone on for decades, with more than 100 armed groups fighting for control of valuable mineral resources as others protect their communities, triggering an exodus of refugees. Since January 2022, some 2,100 schools in eastern DRC have had to close because of armed conflict, according to Unicef.

The damage could be lasting since without access to education, children and young people can miss the chance to develop the skills needed to escape poverty and overcome the desperate economic challenges that help increase conflict in places such as mineral-rich eastern DRC, according to a 2011 UN report on global education and armed conflict.