Children accused of witchcraft in eastern Congo find safe haven
By Reuters
09 February 2023 |
5:11 am
After Ornella lost several family members over the space of three years, relatives and neighbours in her east Congo village of Kabare began suspecting the 14-year-old of witchcraft. It is not uncommon in some African countries for frail children like Ornella, who suffers from a genetic form of anaemia, to be considered a bad omen and blamed for the mishaps that hit isolated and impoverished communities.
In this article
Related
28 Sep 2022
Many children whose families have fled Ukraine to Germany are now attending German schools. An estimated 160,000 Ukrainian children has attended schools in Germany this year – an additional challenge for the country's education system.
11 Oct
In the 1970s and 1980s, North Korea organised a kidnapping campaign in "enemy" countries. As one of its closest neighbours, Japan became a prime target. The programme, decided at the highest level of the Communist state, was likely intended to train North Korean spies in foreign languages and customs.
10 Oct
One week after another coup d'état, our correspondents take stock of years of political instability and terrorism in Burkina Faso. International organisations say there are now two million internally displaced people inside the country, and many of them are children. Also in this edition: Lesotho goes to the polls.
16 Oct
DW talked to Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Simon Lereng Wilmont, who has specialized in films portraying children growing up in eastern Ukraine's conflict zone.
29 Oct
In Nigeria, a smart solution was developed to minimize infant mortality. The HelpMum app notifies mothers about their children's vaccination appointments — a helpful tool for moms in rural areas.
13 Nov
A devastating new report has revealed that Catholic priests and lay church members sexually abused more than 300,000 children in France over seven decades. The landmark investigation alleges the church showed total and cruel indifference to victims.
20 Nov
Germany's health minister, Karl Lauterbach, says death threats — not only against him, but also his children — have become a part of everyday life.
3 Dec
The earthquake on Indonesia's island of Java injured dozens of children. The quake hit during the day, while classes were underway, and some students lost their lives. According to reports, some 80 schools were damaged by the quake.
30 Nov
The armies of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi said they have dislodged the Burundian rebels from the town of Nabombi. Meanwhile, a cease-fire between with a separate rebel group, M23, appears to be holding.
6 Dec
Germany's child protection agency has criticized a shortage of hospital beds for youngsters hit by a severe respiratory virus. Lockdowns kept the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at bay but it's now circulating widely.
6 Dec
After a two-year delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the COP15 summit will open on December 7 in Canada to address the biodiversity crisis. We take a closer look at the African nation of Gabon, which the UN considers a leader in protecting the environment.
10 Dec
A common respiratory virus is circulating in Germany, hitting the youngest the hardest. Children's hospitals are under immense pressure. But this acute situation was foreseeable — and is a result of chronic problems.
Latest
2 hours ago
The French have protested against a planned pension reform. But in fact, the country's pension system is fairly generous when compared with many others in Europe. In several countries, people work much longer.
2 hours ago
The newly scheduled dates will mark the rock 'n' roll legends' first time reuniting following last year's postponement. The series of dates follows a massively successful and record-breaking first leg in 2019.
3 hours ago
More and more children are found to be HIV-positive in northwest Pakistan. Officials attribute the trend to mandatory pre-surgery testing and growing public awareness.
3 hours ago
Recent reports suggest that LGBTQ people in Egypt are increasingly being targeted digitally. But activists and observers say that the crackdown is, in fact, systemic.
3 hours ago
Trump's former national security advisor, John Bolton, to Conflict Zone: I don't think he knew what he was doing.