Child in Democratic Republic of Congo
Where we work

Democratic Republic of Congo

Reintegrating children who have escaped armed groups into their communities, youth-led advocacy, and promoting sustainable livelihoods are at the core of our work for children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the hardest places on earth to be a child.  

An escalation of armed conflict is severely impacting 14.9 million children, compounded by natural disasters and outbreaks of cholera, measles, and Ebola.

The country has been in a humanitarian crisis for decades, and the situation is expected to worsen with increasing lack of access to livelihoods and health services.

Education is a country-wide challenge, particularly for children in conflict-affected areas. Displacement and insecurity forces desperate families to make impossible choices, primarily affecting women and children.

Recruitment of children and young people into armed groups remains widespread in the DRC. Hundreds of children and youth who left armed groups are still awaiting support for reintegration. Without alternatives, they are at increasing risk of returning to armed groups.

Scale of the challenge

  • 14.9 M

    Children impacted by conflict

  • 3.5 M

    Children are displaced

  • 900 K

    Children out of school

Our work in the DRC

War Child began working in the DRC in 2004, delivering critical support in child protection, addressing sexual violence, and providing livelihoods assistance to the most vulnerable children and their families. Today, War Child and our partners operate in North and South Kivu and they reach the most vulnerable children, including those separated from their families, recruited by armed groups, or who have experienced sexual violence. In 2023, we supported 67,532 children and their families.

Lamegia writing on a chalkboard at school.
Photo taken by Neno la Uzima
My life has changed because when I was at home, I was uneducated. But today I am different. The way I study, I’m taught well, and I get a good education. I love my studies because it can help me in my life, help my family and the community.
Lamegia, Democratic Republic of Congo

War Child’s programmes include:

  • Strengthening our contributions to community and institutional child protection efforts by providing children with a safer, more inclusive, and engaged environments for their social, economic, and cultural reintegration.  
  • Supporting children and young people to access quality protection services within their community. 
  • In 2023, we worked with 50 youth advocates, 100 child rights actors, and 80 representatives of child protection agencies. We also delivered life skills training and microprojects to 210 people, and 28,946 participated in activities aimed at preventing gender-based violence, including training sessions and workshops.
  • Equipping communities and young leaders with the skills and knowledge to reintegrate unaccompanied and separated children and young people, as well as those formerly associated with armed groups. In 2023, 1,350 children restarted their education with our support.

 

Project focus – Emergency response

In 2024, we saw an escalation of violence between the DRC’s army and the M23 non-state armed group. War Child teams are on the ground:

  • Providing vital child protection services and humanitarian assistance to the vast and increasing numbers of vulnerable, displaced children and families.
  • Establishing mobile mental health and psychological first aid for children and families affected by the conflict, helping them process trauma and providing early stability.
  • Offering family tracing and reunification services and establishing a child protection monitoring system to reduce the risk of abduction and trafficking among highly vulnerable children.
  • Setting up temporary learning spaces and providing learning materials to ensure children can continue to access education in a safe environment, which is integral to their growth and development.
  • Providing cash assistance to vulnerable families in need of immediate support.
Children taking part in Team Up - a psychosocial support programme.
Children taking part in a Team Up project. Photo taken by War Child UK.
Support our work in the DRC.

With the situation in the DRC only set to worsen, War Child's work with children and their families is more urgent than ever.

Please, help us to be there for those that need us most when they need us most.

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Reintegrating children who have escaped armed groups into their communities, youth-led advocacy, and sustainable livelihoods are at the core of what we do for children in the DRC.