The United Nations Children's Fund urgently needs $14 million to respond to the most urgent needs of children and women in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a humanitarian update Tuesday, UNICEF says that armed conflict, violence against civilians, rape, forced recruitment of children into armed forces and major population movements continue to affect large areas of eastern DR Congo.
The agency points out that the situation remains fragile in the rest of the country.
It estimates that close to two million people are still displaced in the DRC, of whom about 50 per cent are children.
UNICEF says that in addition to the ongoing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, conflict has broken out in Equateur province, displacing almost 200,000 persons.
The agency is helping the affected people in the areas of health, education, hygiene, water and immunization.
However, UNICEF warns that without additional funds it will not be able to respond to the most urgent needs of children and women in the country, including a vaccination campaign covering more than 400,000 persons.
UNICEF has appealed for $ 133 million for 2010 for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but has so far received only $ 20.5 million.
