UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom Highlights Crisis in Eastern DRC

“The staggering scale of the conflict in eastern DRC, the horrific level of violence, and its devastating impact on the children and women I met is heart-wrenching,” Bloom said.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom recently visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the first time, amid escalating violence and mass displacement in the eastern regions of the country. His visit comes as the number of grave violations against children reaches alarming levels.

"The staggering scale of the conflict in eastern DRC, the horrific level of violence, and its devastating impact on the children and women I met is heart-wrenching," Bloom said. "No child should live in the dire conditions I witnessed in displacement camps—separated from their families, hungry, unable to go to school, and constantly at risk of sexual abuse, violence, and exploitation."

During his five-day visit, Bloom traveled to Goma in North Kivu and Bukavu in South Kivu. He met with children and women who shared the daily risks they face, including abduction, rape, recruitment by armed groups, and violence. The United Nations verified over 1,000 grave violations against children in the three eastern provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu) during the first quarter of 2024—a 30% increase compared to the last quarter of 2023. In April 2024 alone, more than 450 grave violations were verified in the east.

"It's a heartbreaking reality that children caught up in the conflict face abduction, recruitment and use by armed groups, violence and abuse – and we know the reports we have are only the tip of the iceberg," said UNICEF DRC Representative Grant Leaity. "UNICEF calls on all parties to this conflict to work toward negotiation and solution for peace and an end to the grave violations against children, and for the perpetrators of violence against children and women to be held accountable."

Bloom visited a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space in the Bushagara displacement site near Goma, where children can engage in supervised play, receive psychosocial support, and have individual case management. These spaces also help identify vulnerable children, such as those separated from their families, and provide necessary care and protection services. Over the past year, UNICEF has reunited more than 9,000 children with their families or placed them with temporary foster care families and assisted over 400,000 children, adolescents, and caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support.

"At the child-friendly space, I met very young children who have been separated from their families for more than two years due to displacement. They told me that they live in fear as the conflict unfolds around them and the violence grows closer," Bloom said. "Yet, in these UNICEF-supported spaces, I saw hope as girls and boys found a place where they felt safe, where they could receive psychosocial support, dance and play, and enjoy being children. More spaces like these are necessary to protect their childhoods."

Gender and conflict-based sexual violence against women and children remained persistently high in 2023 and increased further in 2024, with stigma and fear of retaliation preventing many survivors from coming forward. Bloom visited Panzi Hospital and Panzi Foundation in South Kivu, where he spoke with health staff and caregivers and met with survivors of sexual violence.

"The stories shared by girls and women who have survived harrowing sexual violence are utterly devastating," Bloom said. "But, amidst the pain, I can see the difference that compassionate and dedicated support can make. Support, including healthcare, psychological support, and legal assistance, is helping survivors find the strength to rebuild their lives, but more needs to be done to protect every girl and woman."

In eastern DRC, around 5 million people, including 2.8 million children, urgently need humanitarian assistance due to escalating violence and displacement. In response, UNICEF provides education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, and protection assistance to affected children, women, and families. However, UNICEF's humanitarian appeal for US$804.3 million is only 10% funded.

"Every day, children and women in DRC's displacement camps face tremendous hardships. Their needs are overwhelming, and the response to the crisis is falling short. We must urgently unite to ensure they live in safety and dignity," Bloom emphasized.