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War has a huge effect on children’s growth
and development.
Find out more and learn how you can get involved…
Get in the know…
War and conflict spare no one, not even children. In fact, 90%
of war victims are civilians, and half of these are children. Children
are very often the direct and indirect victims of conflict or violent
conflict.
When living in an area of conflict, children are frequently used
as soldiers, abandoned, abducted, orphaned, forced to leave home,
or separated from friends and family members. Children also suffer
from malnutrition, starvation and/or disease during times of conflict
and war.
But the effects of war do not end once the conflict is over, staying
instead with children for years to come. Having survived the trauma
of war and having been separated from loved ones, children often
have to relearn how to live a life free from fighting and violence.
It is very hard for children to begin to live life again, after
all the difficulties they have experienced. Children often lose
access to basic services such as health care and education, making
the process of re-establishing their lives very difficult. Many
children also end up in refugee camps, orphaned, abandoned by their
parents who were killed or forced to escape during the conflict.
Today, all around the world, youth just like you are teaching one
another about the devastating effects of war. By joining together
in this way and vocally opposing violent conflict, you can help
in the fight to create no war zones and work towards a global culture
of peace.
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