As war displaces millions in DR Congo, new schools offer children hope beyond violence
For another student, Jérémie, dreams are shaped by loss. Displaced by conflict and grieving family members killed in the fighting, he shares a different ambition: “I want to be a general so that I can advocate for peace in the country.” In eastern DRC, where violence escalated sharply in 2025, such aspirations are fragile.
©UNICEF /Carmel Ndomba Mbikayi
Jérémie, Shadrac and Esther in front of their school in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The region has faced decades of conflict, but with recent attacks, tens of thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes – with an estimated 5.3 million people internally displaced in the country as of September 2025. Schools have been destroyed or occupied by armed groups, and children are bearing the brunt of the crisis. Exposed to persistent insecurity, hunger, trauma and protection risks, girls and children with disabilities are especially at risk. Nationwide, an estimated 6.4 million children remain out of school. Without safe, functioning schools, dreams of leadership and peace have little room to grow. That reality is driving a new US$10 million two-year programme funded by the UN’s Education Cannot Wait (ECW) fund for education in emergencies and protracted crisesThe initiative will reach more than 62,000 crisis-affected children in Ituri Province, with priority given to girls, internally displaced children and the most vulnerable.
