Over 2,500 Educational Institutions Impacted by Ongoing Conflict in Congo: Minister
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Synopsis
On March 5, it was reported that over 2,500 schools in eastern DRC have been affected by ongoing conflict, severely impacting more than 1 million students. The situation has escalated, with the M23 rebels taking control of territories and increasing violence against civilians.
Key Takeaways
- Over 2,500 schools damaged or occupied.
- More than 1 million students affected.
- M23 rebels control key regions.
- Significant humanitarian crisis underway.
- UN officials express alarm over rising violence.
Kinshasa, March 5 (NationPress) More than 2,500 educational institutions have been impacted by the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a senior official.
Raissa Malu, the state minister responsible for national education, announced at a press briefing that over 2,500 schools have been either destroyed or occupied in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu during the conflict, with more than 1 million students also affected.
"We have also had to mourn a school that was reportedly used as a cemetery. There are institutions where blackboards have been destroyed, benches have been used as firewood, and even the doors of latrines have been wrecked," she lamented.
The ongoing strife between the M23 rebels and the DRC government has resulted in significant population displacements and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. Tensions continue to remain high despite diplomatic and military attempts to cease the hostilities.
The M23 has claimed control over several regions in eastern DRC, including Goma and Bukavu. Recently, the group appointed a "governor" for South Kivu after establishing a parallel administration in North Kivu in mid-February.
In the last four weeks, 414,000 Congolese have been displaced in the DRC's North Kivu and South Kivu provinces following an M23 order for individuals in internally displaced persons camps to return to their hometowns, as reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Tuesday, according to Xinhua news agency.
A UN humanitarian official has voiced growing alarm over the escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly in the three easternmost provinces.
Bruno Lemarquis, the UN's resident humanitarian coordinator for DRC, raised concerns about the increasing violence directed at civilians, including aid workers, and critical infrastructure in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.
In a statement, Lemarquis condemned the recent assaults, including the abduction of numerous patients from two hospitals, as severe breaches of international humanitarian and human rights laws. He warned that such attacks are jeopardizing relief operations that aid millions of vulnerable civilians.
