Thousands of children have been exposed to rape and sexual violence in the restive east of Congo over the past two months, UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency, said today.
The agency warns that gaps in its funding mean thousands of children are left without protection.
Children accounted for between 35 and 45 percent of the nearly 10.000 cases of rape and sexual violence reported in January and February of this year, UNICEF spokesman James Elder told reporters in Geneva.
"In short, according to initial data, one child was raped every half hour," Elder said.
According to him, UNICEF is facing significant funding gaps, which is affecting the ability to provide protection to thousands of children.
"If UNICEF is unable to fill the gap after the suspension of essential humanitarian services, 250.000 children will not have access to viral services for protection from gender-based violence and protection in armed conflict. We have 12 weeks," Elder added.
In the mineral-rich east of Congo, conflict has raged for decades, with hundreds of armed groups vying for supremacy. The conflict escalated in January when the M23 group seized the strategic city of Goma and then the city of Bukavu. The violence has killed about 3.000 people and threatens to ignite a wider regional war.
About seven million people are refugees.
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