On 26th February 2020, 15 child soldiers associated with the armed forces and armed rebel groups were released in South Sudan. The children aged between 16 to 18 years old were taken as prisoners of war during clashes between the government forces and rebels. They were part of 19,000 child soldiers in the armed and rebel forces in South Sudan.
From Sierra Leone to Palestine, Colombia to Afghanistan, every year, conflict affects the lives of tens of thousands of boys and girls. They are forced to join armies or armed movements, abducted, raped, or starved. They are the most vulnerable members of society who suffer the consequences of a conflict that they had nothing to do with. They are torn from their families, have their education stopped or suspended, are forced to take drugs, and participate in the atrocities of war. Depending on their age, boys are used as porters, cleaners, or are trained to fight. Girls are taken as ‘wives’ and usually return to their communities with children.
Since the intervention of Saudi Arabia in the Yemeni civil war in 2015, an estimated 85,000 children under the age of five have succumbed to starvation. This is in addition to those felled by bullets and bombs ravaging the country. And on May 12, 2020, the world reeled in shock at the news of gunmen attacking a maternity ward in Kabul, Afghanistan. The shooting spree left three new-born babies among the dead. It is here that Graca Machel’s words ring true: “It is clear increasingly, children are targets, not incidental casualties, of armed conflict.” This is evidenced by the increased use of children as suicide bombers, having their schools targeted and deprived of the most basic needs.
The special representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict serves as the leading UN advocate for the protection and well-being of children affected by armed conflict. Her mandate is to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict, raise awareness, promote the collection of information about the plight of children affected by war and foster international co-operation to improve their protection.
Every year, June 4th marks the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. The day has been set aside to acknowledge the pain suffered by children through physical, mental, and emotional abuse. It is a time for reflection upon what we can do as a society to alleviate the children from this pain. Releasing children from armed elements is essential, but only the first step. Provision of psycho-social support, vocational training, education, and healthcare programmes are crucial for the reintegration of these children. Such programmes rely on the strong engagement and cohesion of the government, community, donor funding, civil organizations, and the family.
Whether you run a marathon, donate money to non-profit organizations, volunteer at refugee camps, or protest at parliament buildings, there are plenty of ways you can help children build a better future. Some of these children end up in our neighbourhoods as part of the reintegration programme, be kind to them. It is not all children in the world who have known peace in their short, problematic lives.