Children of War

Children are often the first victims of armed conflict. Since the nineties, attention has focused on Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Kosovo, Rwanda, Somalia, Liberia, Cambodia, former Yugoslavia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Angola. However, conflicts are still active in the world today.

All armed conflicts require children to go through terrible experiences as child soldiers, refugees and displaced children.

Child Soldiers

Boys and girls are abducted and used as soldiers in the civil wars in some countries. The development of lighter weapons such as AK-47 means that children as young as eight can be armed. Army chiefs are actively using children because they are small, fast, easy and less likely to intimidate the rebels.


Once recruited, child soldiers serve as porters, cooks, guards, messengers, spies or are forced to provide sexual favors. Many are forced to fight, which may be forced to the front lines or sent to landmines ahead of older troops.

Rehabilitation of child soldiers is a difficult process because they have been psychologically broken and rebuilt as killing machines. In addition, many former child soldiers do not have access to educational programs, vocational training, family reunification, or even the shelter they need to successfully reintegrate civil society. As a result, many of them end up in the streets, involved in crime, or are drawn back into armed conflict.

Refugee and displaced children

The wave of violence that has spread around the world have uprooted many children. Some are classified as "displaced", having fled their homes to move elsewhere within their own country, while others are "refugees" who have crossed the border into neighboring countries.

When the pressure in the misery and deprivation, the conditions of refugee camps, children are at particular risk. The lack of food, drinking water and adequate medical care in some crowded refugee camps taking a terrible toll of child victims of war are often chronically ill, disabled, blind or mentally ill.

Most of today's conflicts last throughout childhood. It's not just children who are devastated by war, but also the same resources needed to help them develop skills for adult life. Schools and hospitals were destroyed and often after a protracted civil war, many countries lack the resources to rebuild its infrastructure. As a result, at the very moment that many children need physical and psychological health care and education, these resources are insufficient.

The severe psychological wounds inflicted on children can scar for life, damaging the very generations that must one day to rebuild their devastated countries.

Children are suffering the direct consequences of war and can not say or do anything to protect themselves.

A tribute is due to the volunteers, donors and organizations responding to the needs of child soldiers, refugees and displaced children around the world: Thanks for the opportunity to help our children and our world.