UNICEF has called on all parties to the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to protect children, warning that a sharp escalation of fighting in South Kivu has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and placed children at extreme risk.
The UN children’s agency said it was “deeply alarmed” by intensifying hostilities since early December 2025, which have forced families to flee both within the country and across borders into neighbouring Burundi and Rwanda.
According to UNICEF, more than 500,000 people have been displaced since 1 December, including over 100,000 children in South Kivu province alone. With violence continuing to spread, humanitarian agencies fear the number of displaced people will rise further.
“UNICEF calls on all parties to protect children and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” the agency said in a statement.
UNICEF reported that hundreds of people have been killed since 2 December, alongside grave violations against children. These include the killing of four students, injuries to six others, and attacks on at least seven schools, leaving classrooms damaged or destroyed.
As families flee under fire, children face heightened protection risks, including family separation, exposure to violence, exploitation, gender-based violence and severe psychosocial distress.
The crisis has also spilled across borders. More than 50,000 people are reported to have arrived in Burundi between 6 and 11 December, nearly half of them children. Authorities expect the true figure to be significantly higher as registration continues. Many of those arriving are injured, unaccompanied or separated children, or women facing heightened risks.
UNICEF said it is working with national authorities and humanitarian partners in both the DRC and Burundi to mount an urgent, child-focused response. The agency is also coordinating with other UN bodies to carry out rapid assessments and scale up assistance as soon as security conditions allow.
“Children must never pay the price of conflict,” UNICEF said, adding that it stands ready to support every child affected by the escalating crisis.
