SOS CHILDREN IS TRYING TO HELP WAR CHILDREN
By Oscar Sola Real
War
affects every aspect of a child's development. Children affected by armed
conflict can be injured or killed, uprooted from their homes and communities,
internally displaced or refugees, orphaned or separated from their parents and
families, subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation, victims of trauma as a
result of being exposed to violence, deprived of education and recreation, at
risk of becoming child soldiers.
It is highly probable that children living in
conflict areas will be deprived of basic needs such as shelter, food and
medical attention. In addition, relief for children tends to be the last
priority in war, resulting in insufficient or no protection for minors.
Besides, children are, due to their physical constitution and growth, most
vulnerable to being deprived of food, medical assistance and education, which
has a severe and lasting impact on their development.
Since
1998 there have been armed conflicts involving child soldiers in at least 36
countries.
However, the terrible scars that children have is one of the most difficult problems to solve: refugees, food shortages and mourning for lost relatives.
Former Child Soldiers will have at best their needs forgotten and at worst they will be blamed by their communities for what happened.
Children from poor families who are seeking physical support, revenge for their losses or the sense of belonging are particularly vulnerable to exploitation during conflict. Other children are kidnapped and force 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.
SOS works in many countries to help Child Soldiers and other children scarred by conflict, whose lives will never be the same.
Current focus are on Ugandan Child Soldiers and children in Palestine ,but projects are aso being developed to include rehabilitation of child soldiers in Sudan
Other current child soldier projects include rehabilitation where counseling, family-tracing, education and support for former child soldiers is provided.
Looking back, ten years after the massacre in Rwanda, children are now starting to rebuild their lives. Nine members of the community were murdered in the genocide there.
Another, was forced to become a child soldier and join the conflict, only to lose a leg to a land-mine.
"War violates every right of a child- the right to live, the right to be with family and nurtured and respected", (Grace Machel, UN, 1996)
However, the terrible scars that children have is one of the most difficult problems to solve: refugees, food shortages and mourning for lost relatives.
Former Child Soldiers will have at best their needs forgotten and at worst they will be blamed by their communities for what happened.
Children from poor families who are seeking physical support, revenge for their losses or the sense of belonging are particularly vulnerable to exploitation during conflict. Other children are kidnapped and force 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.
SOS works in many countries to help Child Soldiers and other children scarred by conflict, whose lives will never be the same.
Current focus are on Ugandan Child Soldiers and children in Palestine ,but projects are aso being developed to include rehabilitation of child soldiers in Sudan
Other current child soldier projects include rehabilitation where counseling, family-tracing, education and support for former child soldiers is provided.
Looking back, ten years after the massacre in Rwanda, children are now starting to rebuild their lives. Nine members of the community were murdered in the genocide there.
Another, was forced to become a child soldier and join the conflict, only to lose a leg to a land-mine.
"War violates every right of a child- the right to live, the right to be with family and nurtured and respected", (Grace Machel, UN, 1996)
I like this text because I think that people who don't read about any text like that they aren't awarness of the hurts that these children suffer throughout his life and if his quality of life wouldn't improve we couldn't avoid that problem.
ResponderEliminarSo I think that this text it's very nice.
Verónica Brito
I think it's an interesting text because it's important to know that there are organizations that try to improve the life of the children at war. As I see it the best way for us to do anything to help these children is to get more information about these organizations. I think that if people know how to colaborate,then they will do it.
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