The United Nations has strongly condemned the killing of a UNICEF staff member during a drone strike in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
UNICEF employee Karine Buisset, a French national, was killed when a drone strike hit a building housing aid workers in Goma, near Lake Kivu.
Speaking in New York, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric described Buisset as a dedicated humanitarian who worked tirelessly to help children and families affected by conflict.
Drone strikes reported in Goma
Local residents and the March 23 Movement said a series of drone strikes struck areas near Lake Kivu, including a private residence close to the home of former president Joseph Kabila.
The rebel group blamed the Congolese government for the attack, though officials had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
M23 said the strike killed three people, but the exact number of casualties has not yet been independently confirmed.
Concern for aid workers
The UN stressed that humanitarian workers must never be targeted in conflict zones and called on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and aid personnel.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Buisset is the second humanitarian worker killed in the DR Congo this year.
Since January, at least 92 incidents affecting humanitarian workers have been recorded across the country.
Last year, more than 650 attacks or security incidents involving aid workers were reported in several eastern provinces.
Peacekeepers from the UN mission in the country, known as United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, were deployed to the area to assist with emergency support and conduct an initial assessment of the strike.
