Children in Conflict: Child Soldiers
Over the last ten years, two million children have been killed in conflict. Over one million have been orphaned, over six million have been seriously injured or permanently disabled and over ten million have been left with serious psychological trauma.Since 1998 there have been armed conflicts involving child soldiers in 36 countries. However, the traumatic scars left on children are just one of a vast aftermath of post war problems: refugees, food shortages and mourning for lost relatives. Former Child Soldiers may at best have their needs forgotten and at worst be blamed by their communities for what happened.
Children from poor and disadvantaged families who are seeking physical support, revenge for their losses or the sense of belonging are particularly vulnerable to expoitation during conflict. Other children are kidnapped and forced to become fighters. It is estimated that over the last 15 years 10,000 children have been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) around Gulu in northern Uganda, alone. Children are deliberately targeted as they are manipulated more easily than adults and can be indoctrinated to perform crimes and atrocities without asking questions.
As you would expect, SOS Children works in many countries to help Child Soldiers and other children scarred by conflict. As well as our current focus projects for Ugandan Child Soldiers and children in Palestine, we are working around the world with children whose lives will never be the same. Other current child soldier projects include rehabilitation of child soldiers in Sudan where SOS is providing counselling, family-tracing, education and support for former child soldiers.
“War violates every right of a child – the right to life, the right to be with family and nurtured and respected”, (Grace Machel, UN, 1996).