The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for women, girls and children, following an escalating crisis.
Development Diaries reports that there are currently 6.7 million displaced people in the DRC, as the escalating violence has pushed the displacement crisis to an alarming level.
According to a report by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), women and girls are now facing a protection crisis at a level not seen before, where gender-based violence (GBV) is happening all the time.
It is understood that the scarcity of food in the displacement camps worsens the protection situation even more, as women are compelled to go outside in search of food in order to feed their children, and many of them have reported being used for sex in return for a few potatoes.
According to figures from CARE International, the number of victims of sexual violence in the DRC has been rising rapidly.
The number of gender-based assault cases that were reported doubled from 40,000 to over 80,000 between 2021 and 2022, while the first three months of 2023 saw the reporting of approximately 31,000 instances.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) raised the alarm in July over the increasing reports of sexual violence against forcibly displaced women and girls, including rape and sexual exploitation.
Development Diaries urges federal and local government agencies to move quickly to combat this alarming GBV epidemic.
We also call on development partners to scale up their response to GBV in the country, which is currently only 28 percent funded.
Photo source: United Nations
