Over the past three months, violence has caused casualties and new civilian displacement. The ICRC sent its rapid-response surgical team to the remote Jonglei state and to Wau. Elsewhere, it distributed aid to thousands and eased the shortage of clean water for displaced people.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 35,000 men, women and children have crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Uganda in search of safety. During its visits to refugee camps in Uganda, the ICRC met a group of lost boys coming from various parts of eastern DRC. Some want to go back home, some hope for a brighter future in Uganda or elsewhere.

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day (10 October), the ICRC looks at the plight of children and youth forcibly recruited by armed groups the psychosocial support provided by local actors to lighten their heavy load after they return home. Their stories are told in images from two villages in Ango Territory, Orientale province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

This edition of the Review is introduced by the reflections of two of the leading humanitarian action policy makers. In 2010, Kristalina Georgieva was named the first Commissioner of the European Union specifically appointed for humanitarian aid and crisis response. In this capacity she heads the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection of the European Commission (ECHO), a major donor of international aid.

Kampala/Geneva (ICRC) – Following renewed fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo over the past few days, more than 16,500 Congolese refugees have fled into western Uganda through the Bunagana, Katwe and Bukazi border posts.

25-05-2012 Point sur les activités N° 01/12

La violence se poursuit dans les deux provinces du Kivu et s’étend à des zones plus reculées et difficiles d'accès, entraînant des conséquences humanitaires dramatiques. Le CICR s'inquiète de l’augmentation du nombre de victimes civiles et rappelle à toutes les parties aux conflits leur obligation d’épargner les populations.

Executive summary

Armed conflict and violence take a heavy toll on children’s lives in different parts of the world. Not only do children suffer from the direct consequences of war and armed violence (recruitment in armed forces or groups, physical injuries, death), they are also indirectly affected by displacement, loss of relatives and the trauma associated with witnessing acts of violence.

« Ces enfants, 12 garçons et 2 filles, ont attendu avec impatience de pouvoir retourner en RDC, explique Jean-Paolo Spoto, délégué du CICR à Goma. Le conflit dans la région du Nord-Kivu les

Current situation in Darfur

In recent months the armed conflict in Darfur has gained in intensity, armed clashes in several areas causing further displacement of the region's people. Coping mechanisms remain very fragile and basic needs such as food, water and shelter are in desperately short supply.

The ICRC is particularly concerned about