United Nations, Apr 12: A child was reported raped on average every 30 minutes during intense January and February fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said.

UNICEF said Friday that reports inidicated children make up 35 to 45 per cent of the nearly 10,000 cases of rape and sexual violence tallied in January and February, Xinhua news agency reported.

"During the most intense phase of this year's conflict in eastern DRC, a child was raped every half an hour," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters at a UN briefing in Geneva.

"We are not talking about isolated incidents; we are talking about a systemic crisis. We are seeing survivors as young as toddlers. It is a weapon of war and a deliberate tactic of terror. And it destroys families and communities," Elder said.

And the figures may be just "the tip of the iceberg" because reports of crimes can be hidden beneath layers of fear, stigma, and insecurity, he added.

Elder called for the international community to take urgent and collective action against sexual violence. "We need additional prevention efforts, survivor-centerd services, and safe, accessible ways for survivors to report abuse without fear. Survivors must see the world stand with them, not turn away. And perpetrators must face justice," he said.

(IANS)

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