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.