UNICEF: Congolese Kids Face Psychological Trauma

November 19, 2012

M23 rebel group soldiers patrol in Rangira, near Rutshuru, DRC, October 17, 2012.

The U.N. children’s agency says heavy fighting around Goma in the eastern DRC has forced thousands of already displaced people to flee once again. UNICEF said it’s particularly concerned about the psychological trauma that Congolese children may face.

The fighting between the Congolese army and M23 rebels has made an already unstable area even more unsafe for civilians.

“Our primary concern is the condition of women and children in and around Goma who are affected by the fighting; and of course, of the security and safety of our own personnel on the ground,” said Nona Zicherman, head of emergencies for UNICEF in the Democratic Republic of Congo and based in Kinshasa.

She said many thousands of people already have fled a site for the displaced several kilometers from Goma.

“Well, we know that there was significant population movement into Goma. UNICEF was present in Kanyaruchinya camp outside of Goma, which was home to around 60,000 people. And while we don’t have exact numbers, we know that a significant proportion of the residents of Kanyaruchinya and the surrounding villages have come into Goma, and have come into various sites and are living with host families in various neighborhoods inside Goma,” she said.