INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United Nations says violence against children in Eastern DR Congo (DRC) has hit new highs.Even infants are being used in horrific ways,
like being turned into live bombs.Grant Leaity from UNICEF spoke in Geneva
zones.Leaity shared a chilling story
Twin babies were found strapped to a bomb belt, hidden under clothes.Unseen levels of child violence in Eastern DR Congo, UN reports
(Photo Internet reproduction)Militants from the Allied Democratic Forces did this after killing their family in Northern Kivu.Experts
defused the bomb and separated the twins
Epidemics add to the crisis, putting more lives at risk.BackgroundEastern DRC has long been unstable, but these new levels are deeply
wound.The involvement of groups like the Allied Democratic Forces is a concern
Their acts signal a change in how armed groups involve children in conflicts.Such acts can have long-term consequences, affecting not just
DRC but stability in Africa.The increase in sexual and gender violence is another layer to the crisis
This may discourage international investments and humanitarian aid in the region.Furthermore, malnutrition and epidemics compound the
International bodies and governments need to collaborate.Only a multi-pronged approach can start to tackle these interconnected issues.
