DRC: Over 1.5 Million Children Need Protection as Goma Faces Heavy Fighting, Save the Children

GOMA (January 27, 2025) – Children caught in heavy fighting in the town of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) must be protected, with Save the Children concerned for their safety amid the worst escalation of violence in the country in more than a decade.

About 3 million people live in Goma, including 1 million displaced people. Save the Children estimates over half of those – or over 1.5 million - are children^[1].

Large parts of Goma have been without water and electricity since Friday, and parents have no food or clean water for their children. People are trying to flee but have nowhere to go.

Children have already been affected by the chaos in and out of Goma, with four children wounded by explosives in the town of Minova – 30km from Goma - last week and a baby injured in an attack on a hospital in Goma today.

Save the Children's office in Goma was hit by an explosion today, and the house of a Save the Children employee was struck with bullets. While no staff were injured in these attacks, staff, along with other members of the community, remain at risk as intense fighting continues.

Greg Ramm, Save the Children's Country Director for DRC, said:

"The situation is confusing, complex and horrific. There is no safe place to go from Goma. Every time a family flees the guns and bombs to a supposed safe place, they are forced to move again.  

"Children have lost their parents. Two days ago, a bomb landed in a displacement camp, people fled, and there was a girl left wandering around the city, unsure of where her parents were or where she'd get her next meal. We spoke to her an hour ago and she still hadn't eaten since yesterday.  It’s a horrible, horrible place to be a child at the moment. 

"We have heard horrific reports of gang rape and violence against young children in recent weeks, and we hold grave fears for the wellbeing and safety of the children remaining in Goma or fleeing for their lives.  

"Displacement camps on the outskirts of Goma have been emptied as people flee once again in search of safety. Thousands of families escaping from violence in Minova – 30km from Goma - are now stranded in areas lacking clean water and food supplies, as boat crossings to Goma have stopped working.  

"The situation is desperate, and we need urgent global action now. We urge all parties involved in the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians and ensure unrestricted humanitarian access. We reiterate our call on the international community to take immediate action to address the rapidly unfolding humanitarian crisis in the DRC. This includes providing emergency assistance to those displaced, supporting efforts to protect civilians and working towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict. 

What we ask most is for peace to return, calm to return so that children can be safe and we can continue our essential humanitarian work."

Conflict in DRC has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with nearly 7 million people, including at least 3.5 million children, displaced and more than 26 million people – or one in every four people – in need of humanitarian assistance.  

Save the Children has worked in DRC since 1994 to meet humanitarian needs linked to the arrival of refugees and the displacement of populations due to armed conflict in eastern provinces. Save the Children has scaled up its humanitarian response to support existing care systems, training local leaders and communities to prevent and respond to exploitation and abuse and ensuring access to healthcare through mobile clinics. It is also helping children access basic education by building classrooms, training teachers, and distributing learning materials.  

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NOTES:  

[1] While the exact child population of Goma isn't known, with children making up 52% of the population of the DRC, Save the Children estimates some 1,560,000 children are currently in Goma in the thick of the fighting.