Democratic Republic of the Congo: saving lives, rebuilding livelihoods

3-11-2006 Photo Collection

This gallery contains images and excerpts from a new ICRC photo exhibition that provides a fresh look at the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It depicts the central human concerns arising out of years of violence in which hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, focusing on key issues such as child soldiers, sexual violence, health, water, economic security, helping abandoned communities, reuniting families and 'fighting right', and provides an overview of what the ICRC is doing to tackle these challenges.

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SOS Grand Lac – Centre for child ex-soldiers, Goma, North Kivu.

Child soldiers

Children who are exposed to war and trapped in war zones can be drawn into the fighting and forced to witness or perpetrate atrocities, sometimes against their own families.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the ICRC has been cooperating with the National Demobilization and Reintegration Commission and international child protection agencies to put children formerly associated with armed groups back in touch with their families and, where appropriate, reunite them with their relatives. In 2006, the number of child ex-soldiers rose again when several armed groups demobilized in Katanga. After the surrender in Katanga of one of the major groups, the ICRC registered some 80 children for tracing purposes. Most of them have already been reunited with their families.

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