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	Top UN aid official stresses need for civilian protection in DR Congo by OCHA / Unicef Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)   9 March 2011   The United Nations humanitarian chief has voiced concern over violence against civilians in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) affected by conflict and stressed the need to continue to provide relief to those in need in the African country.   “The daily reality for many people in this province is immensely difficult,” said Valerie Amos, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, while visiting the province of North Kivu.   “Armed men regularly attack villages, looting, raping, maiming, killing, kidnapping, and burning the villages before leaving,” she said on her first working day of a two-day visit to the DRC.   “This forces entire communities to live in a perpetual flight mode, relying on humanitarian assistance for their survival,” added Ms. Amos, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.   More than half a million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to relatively secure areas since 2009, but more other people have since been displaced elsewhere in North Kivu.   Sexual violence, mostly committed by armed groups, remains a serious problem in eastern DRC, with thousands of cases reported in North and South Kivu provinces every year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which Ms. Amos heads.   “Sexual violence is only one symptom of a much deeper problem. Entire communities are being deprived of their right to a dignified life,” she said.   Insecurity in eastern and north-eastern DRC continues limit humanitarian work, according to OCHA. Last year, 200 incidents of insecurity affecting aid workers were recorded in the two provinces, compared to 179 during 2009.   “Humanitarian assistance can save lives and alleviate suffering, but the root causes of the crisis must be addressed,” said Ms. Amos. “Full support to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and efforts to end impunity for those committing these crimes must be stepped up,” she added, expressing appreciation of the quick judicial response to mass rapes committed by members of the DRC military in January.   The provinces of North and South Kivu are affected by conflict between the national army and various foreign and local armed groups, including the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has its origins in Uganda.   4 March 2011   The head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today condemned violence against children in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where youngsters face multiple challenges, including sexual abuse, conscription into armed groups and lack of education and health services.   “What can be more repulsive than sexual violence against children, whether in the DRC or elsewhere?” posed Anthony Lake, the Executive Director of UNICEF, speaking in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.   “We all should be alarmed by the most recent allegations of rape by soldiers in North and South Kivu, and especially by reports that children are among the victims of these atrocities. This is a crime for which there can be no impunity. Perpetrators must be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Mr. Lake.   Last year, 14,591 new cases of sexual violence were reported in DRC, including thousands of child victims, according to UNICEF.   While there has been progress in releasing and reintegrating back into society children who have been associated with armed forces, recruitment of children remains a serious problem in the country, mostly in the more insecure parts of the east.   “Children who become involved with armed forces are at grave risk of physical injury and lasting psychological harm, and they are deprived of a most basic right – to be children, to have a childhood,” said Mr. Lake.   Internal displacement also continues to blight the lives of children in DRC. An estimated 1.7 million adults and children have been displaced in recent years, with nearly half a million refugees seeking safety in other countries.   “Cut off from basic services – clean water, adequate sanitation, sufficient nutrition, education and basic health care – children affected by armed conflict are among the most vulnerable in DRC. Yet, they have the same right to social services as children elsewhere,” said Pierrette Vu Thi, the UNICEF Representative in DRC.   Progress has, however, been made. An increasing number of children are going to school and many more are sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets for protection against malaria, and life-saving vaccines are increasingly available. “Since such progress can be made, more progress must be made,” said Mr. Lake.
	International Women"s Day: the fight against sexual violence must not falter by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)   07 Mar 2011   Geneva (ICRC) – The widespread perception of sexual violence against women as inevitable in armed conflict is wrong, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said today. In the run-up to International Women"s Day on 8 March, the ICRC is calling on States and other entities not to relent in their efforts to prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence that harm the lives and dignity of countless women in conflict zones around the world every year.   "Sexual violence in times of conflict does not happen automatically and can be avoided," said Nadine Puechguirbal, the ICRC"s adviser on issues relating to women and war. "Sexual assault, as we all know, is an appalling and unlawful act that has to be prosecuted. Would-be perpetrators might hold back if they knew they were going to be punished."   Sexual violence committed in connection with armed conflict is a war crime prohibited by the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, the two Additional Protocols of 1977 and the Statute of the International Criminal Court. States have an obligation to prevent and prosecute sexual violence and to punish the perpetrators. To do so, they need to have suitable domestic legislation and other measures in place.   Weapon bearers, whether belonging to government armed forces, organized non-State armed groups or peacekeeping forces, must refrain from and prevent all crimes of sexual violence through suitable training, strict orders and sanctions for offenders.   "Deplorably, it happens all too often that the rules protecting women are not observed," said Ms Puechguirbal. "This frequently leads to a climate of impunity – and that is precisely what has to change."   In addition to promoting compliance with international humanitarian law, the ICRC has set up various programmes of support for victims of sexual violence that cover medical, psychological, social and economic issues. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, the ICRC supports counselling centres ("maisons d"écoute") for victims of sexual violence. In Colombia, the ICRC cooperates with the Profamilia organization, which provides health care, psychological support and legal advice. Every year, all over the world, the ICRC provides tens of thousands of displaced women, including victims of sexual violence, with aid of various kinds, ranging from essential household items to micro grants.   Nadine Puechguirbal is the ICRC’s adviser on women and war. She talks about sexual violence in conflict, how it can be reduced and what the ICRC is doing to help victims rebuild their lives.   Does sexual violence occur in every conflict?   Horrific stories of rape and other forms of sexual violence emerge from almost all armed conflicts. Indeed, the scope of the problem has long been underestimated. This is mainly because women often remain silent about what they have gone through, afraid that their families and communities will reject them. As a result, it is difficult to say how prevalent sexual violence is in any given conflict. What we do know is that sexual violence is widespread and that in some conflicts it is used as a method of warfare.   What does this mean in practice?   When armed forces or groups use sexual violence to dominate communities, to frighten them or to force them to relocate, it constitutes a method of warfare. By violating women, arms bearers humiliate and demoralize the men who were unable to protect them. The damage to cultural and community life can persist for generations. One of the most tragic instances was the Balkans in the 1990s, when systematic rape and forced impregnation were used with the intention of destroying the identity of particular ethnic groups. Both there and in Rwanda, these practices were used as tools of ethnic cleansing, as we heard at the war-crimes tribunals in The Hague and Arusha.   Not every case of rape in a conflict falls into this category. Undisciplined soldiers and other armed men also commit rape because they consider it one of the spoils of war. However, the authorities cannot use this as an excuse not to act. Whatever the motivation for sexual violence, it is an appalling and unacceptable act that causes indescribable suffering, and perpetrators must be prosecuted.   Is it possible to prevent sexual violence occurring in armed conflict?   Yes, definitely. It is very important not to see sexual violence as an inevitable aspect of armed conflict. States bear the primary responsibility for preventing sexual violence, and widespread rape and other forms of sexual violence thrive in a climate of impunity. Potential perpetrators would think twice if they knew that their acts of unspeakable cruelty would not go unpunished. Sadly, they know all too often that they will “get away with it.”   Sexual violence committed in connection with armed conflict is a war crime prohibited by the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, the two Additional Protocols of 1977 and the Statute of the International Criminal Court. States have an obligation to prosecute anyone accused of sexual violence and to punish the perpetrators. To do so, they must have suitable domestic legislation and other measures in place. Arms bearers must obey the rules, whether they belong to government armed forces, organized non-State armed groups or peacekeeping forces.   Aid agencies can also help prevent sexual violence. For instance, women are often attacked while collecting water or firewood away from their villages. The less firewood they need, the less they are exposed to attack while collecting it. So if aid agencies provide food that needs less cooking, and stoves that burn less wood, they immediately reduce women’s exposure. Siting water collection points in safe places, close to the users, is another way of protecting women. But whatever we do, it is essential to consult the women about measures for protecting them and their children.   How does sexual violence affect the life of the victim?   Rape can have severe physical consequences, such as infertility, incontinence and sexually transmitted infections like HIV/Aids. Victims also suffer psychologically, as they may experience shame, humiliation and guilt, leading to severe depression and even suicide.   An additional burden is the fear of stigmatization. Many women are rejected by their families and communities after being raped. The blame for the perceived loss of honour often falls on the woman instead of on the rapist, especially if the woman has already attained puberty. The situation is even worse for women who become pregnant as a result of rape; not only may the rape be seen as "soiling" the line of descent, but a child born of rape may be abandoned or killed, and in many cases the victim or her family will seek an abortion by methods that involve serious risks to her health.   Despite the difficulties, many women decide to keep a child born as a result of rape. Sabrine, a young woman from the Central African Republic, was abducted by an armed group in 2008 at the age of 12. She became pregnant after one of her abductors raped her. Yet she named her child “Dieu merci” or “Thank God,” telling us that she accepted the baby because any child was a gift from God.   What type of help do the victims of sexual violence most need?   They need appropriate medical attention as soon as possible, both to treat their injuries and to stop them getting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. But effective response goes beyond medical care, and includes psychological care and economic support.   Support from the victim’s family is crucial for recovery, and families need to provide a safe and understanding environment. Communities also have a fundamental role in the aftermath of sexual violence. Community leaders should play their part in promoting acceptance of victims and in stressing to members of the community that the victim is not to blame for what has happened and, above all, is not to be stigmatized.   In the provinces of North and South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the ICRC has recently seen a decline in the number of victims of sexual violence rejected by their families or communities, with a clear majority reporting no such consequences. Likely reasons for this are the efforts of the psychosocial assistants who are encouraging families and communities to accept the victims, the awareness-raising programme and the involvement of community leaders. What we observe in many conflict zones is that women often show tremendous resilience and courage in coping with the consequences of sexual violence. Visit the related web page
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