Surge in number of children facing sexual abuse as they flee Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Burundi with aid cuts reducing support – Save the Children
The number of children reporting sexual assault after fleeing into Burundi to escape violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has more than tripled this year with aid cuts dramatically reducing the support available, said Save the Children.
Between January and June this year, Save the Children staff in Burundi recorded over 478 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) including over 172 against children, most of them rape cases, which was a 249% increase from a year ago.
More than one million people have been displaced by violence in DRC this year as the conflict dramatically escalated, including over 41,000 who have fled to Burundi, according to the UN.
More than 65% of the GBV cases managed by Save the Children involve rape, along with psychological abuse and physical violence, the aid agency said, with horrifying stories of children being raped together with their parents and mothers being raped in front of their children.
However, major cuts to aid supporting refugees from the DRC have curtailed the ability of humanitarian agencies to help the thousands of children housed in reception centres on arrival and refugee sites, putting their safety and wellbeing at risk. Normally survivors of gender-based violence would receive dignity and hygiene items including diapers, pads, underpants and soap, however the aid cuts mean not everyone is now receiving these essential items, said Save the Children.
Due to the conflict, more than 500 children have arrived this year separated from their families, with about 300 unaccompanied children requiring services to trace their families and reunite them.
Save the Children staff in Burundi said children who have faced sexual violence are in dire need of psychological support to overcome the trauma and are at risk of low self-esteem, self-blame, isolation, stigmatization and discrimination without help.
Rita*, a 16-year-old girl living in a refugee camp in eastern Burundi, told Save the Children: “Before arriving in Burundi, my mother, my siblings and I spent several days hiding in the mountains near our village. Some days we would return home from the bushes when the sound of gunfire went down but go back to the forest in the evening. One evening we decided to stay in the house and that’s when it happened. Armed men entered our house and raped me, my sister and my mother. We then decided to flee the next day. It is very hard to look my mother in eye after what happened but also very difficult for our mother to talk to us about it.”
Nadege Nizigama, Save the Children’s Child Protection and GBV case worker for Burundi, said:
“I speak to children who have faced various forms of abuse including rape and forced marriages. At the moment, I have two girls and one boy who are undergoing psychosocial support after experiencing rape while fleeing the conflict earlier this year. For the last few months, I have heard horrifying stories of children being raped together with their parents and mothers being raped in front of their children. No child should be subjected to this kind of violence. We are doing our best to provide all the support we can to help the children overcome their trauma but more needs to be done to restore the children’s wellbeing and strengthen their resilience.”
Geoffrey Kirenga, Save the Children’s Head of Mission in Burundi, said:
“Conflict related sexual violence has long been used as a tool of war to intimidate and terrorise civilians. The impact on children is devastating, and my team witness this daily. Save the Children’s work in Burundi reveals critical child protection concerns and survivors need to receive medical care and protection.
“Tragically we know the number of cases we have registered is just a drop in the ocean. Children and community members often don’t report cases of severe violations because of fear of being victimized. It’s a tragic situation.
“The impact of aid cuts is huge, considering the degree of vulnerability of our beneficiaries. Most of the families we are supporting have faced psychological trauma due to conflict and many left their homes with nothing. The funding gaps we’re now facing could force us to close down programmes that are a lifeline to children and families in dire need. We are calling on the international community not to abandon these children at a time when they need them most.”
Save the Children has been working in Burundi since 2016 providing services in child protection, prevention and response to gender-based violence, health, child right governance and education. We have a team in Burundi assisting thousands of displaced children and their families.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.
