DRC: 400,000 children risk death from starvation, UNESCO says

The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF warns that over 400,000 children risk death from starvation as on-going crisis in the Kasai region of Congo Democratic Republic continues.

UNICEF has also called for no less than $88m of aid to address the situation caused by the ongoing fighting between government forces and regional militia.

According to a UNICEF report, the unrest has created a “perfect storm of poverty, deprivation and conflict for the most vulnerable children.”

Read also: DRC: 17 feared dead as Ebola outbreak is confirmed

The child agency called for urgent action to stop the violence against children; ensure access to essential services for all minors; and provide support for sustained humanitarian assistance.

An estimated 1.3 million people in Kasai have reportedly been forced from their homes after fighting broke out in the region over a power dispute between a local chief and government authorities in August 2016.

 

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