Concern grows for children in IDP camps as conflict continues in the Democratic Republic of Congo

4 February 2010 [MediaGlobal]: Thousands of civilians have had to flee their homes in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of newly displaced persons has risen by 15,000 over the last two months due to continued violence and a negative military campaign. International agencies, such as UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have had a heavy presence in the area, but while many people are returning to their homes after the recent violence, new cases of displacement have been reported. The ICRC is currently focusing on restoring family links in the area and returning displaced children to their families. In the Rutshuru region of North Kivu, for example, a number of children have been able to be reunited with family members. Many children are accompanied by ICRC staff and are flown to other countries, such as Sudan, to meet their family members. The organization says that the children have all been displaced either due to the recent conflict in the area or because they have recently left armed forces. Anna Schaaf, Media Relations Officer with ICRC, told MediaGlobal: “The priority issue for the ICRC is to restore family links for unaccompanied minors. In 2009 the ICRC was able to bring back 800 children to their families. Today still 538 children registered by the ICRC are waiting to see their families again.” The United Nations has also stated that UNICEF is planning a vaccination campaign against measles for all children under five in IDP camps along with providing essential medicines and treating children for malnutrition.