Fear and Isolation: The impact of Ebola and war on child protection in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are facing a new Ebola crisis. The most recent outbreak began in August 2018, and by late November 2019, more than half of the health zones in North Kivu and Ituri provinces had recorded cases of the disease. Children under the age of five have been impacted particularly hard in this outbreak. 28 percent of the recorded deaths have been children. There are more than 2 000 orphans who have lost one or more caregivers in the disease, and over 4 000 children have been separated from their parents because of the epidemic. The Ebola outbreak is further compounding an already dire situation of conflict and poverty.  

This report is based on interviews with children and parents in North Kivu, DRC, and presents insights on the impacts of Ebola on vulnerable children in the area.