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45K Dying Each Month in Congo
Civil war's over, but disease, malnutrition keep killing
By Jason Farago
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Posted Jan 23, 08 2:34 PM CST
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(Newser)
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The civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo officially ended in 2002, but it's still killing 45,000 people a month, a new study concludes. Malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, and malnutrition caused by 10 years of conflict—not to mention continuing armed skirmishes in the east—have left 5.4 million dead in the most lethal conflict since World War II, the Guardian reports.
Nearly half of all the deaths reported were of children under the age of five, even though they make up less than a fifth of the country's population. "When war destroys a country's economy and infrastructure, there's no quick fix," said one of the survey's authors. The continued civil war in eastern Congo showed signs of improvement today, as the government and some rebel groups were reported to be set to sign a peace deal.