At least 400 children under the age of 5 in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and are at risk of dying from the conflict in which over 3 people have lost their lives.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousAt least 400 thousand children under the age of 5 in the Kasai region, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and are at risk of dying from the conflict in which over 3 thousand people have lost their lives.
An endless drama that in Kasai region where a humanitarian crisis is underway due to the conflict between the army and militiamen. At stake are issues of succession of large areas of territory that preserve riches in the subsoil.
Let's talk about diamonds, copper, coltan, gold, zinc without forgetting oil. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the third largest producer of diamond in the world, it also boasts the second largest rainforest in the world, with immense spaces of fertile soil, as well as infinite water resources.
Economic interests, therefore, which, according to Save the children, have already led to the escape 1,4 million people, including hundreds of children.
"Some displaced children are now surviving on 3 meals a week without their families having any alternative to find food, and nearly 400 are at risk of starvation in the coming months," they explain.
“This conflict-torn country where children are also forcibly recruited or used as human shields, is facing one of the largest and most forgotten man-made humanitarian emergencies in the world, and the aid programs needed to save children's lives are at great risk, "he said. Heather Kerr, Democratic Republic of Congo director of Save the Children.
Among the many testimonies collected by the organization is that of Benjamin (invented name), a one-year-old child who miraculously escaped an attack by armed groups.
“I fled with my baby after losing my husband in the chaos. They killed, destroyed everything and stole our livestock, we had nothing left to eat. When I was finally able to take Benjamin to the hospital he was in very serious condition, but after receiving the milk and the first few treatments he is slowly recovering. " tells the child's mother.
Other children suffering from malnutrition:
- Over 1 million children are starving in South Sudan (what can we do)
- Over 900 children are dying of hunger, the specter of famine returns to Somalia
A disastrous situation with mass displacements that was also denounced by theUnicef.
“The nutritional crisis and food insecurity in Kasai derive from the displacement of thousands of families who have lived in extremely harsh conditions for months. With people returning home to some areas where security conditions have improved and health services have begun to function again, the real scale of the problem is becoming clear, ”said Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF pro tempore representative in the Democratic Republic. of the Congo.
Dominella Trunfio
Cover photo: © UNICEF / UN0156457 / Vockel
