To mark the 20th, 50th and 60th anniversaries of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Geneva Conventions, respectively, the ICRC has issued a new brochure on children and war. ICRC child protection adviser, Kristin Barstad, talks about the plight of children during war and what the organization does to protect and assist them.

Today’s conflicts can have devastating effects on children, who get killed, maimed, imprisoned, recruited by armed forces or groups, sexually abused, exploited or trafficked. Conflict tears families apart, leaving thousands of children to fend for themselves and their siblings.

This brochure examines the risks faced by children caught up in armed conflict, the steps taken by the ICRC to address their specific needs, and the rules of law defined to protect them.

Marie Yolaine lost nine members of her family to the earthquake. One of her two surviving children then mysteriously disappeared – his body was found the following day. She came to the Haitian Red Cross for help. Simon Schorno, ICRC spokesperson, tells her story from Port-au-Prince.

Protecting unaccompanied children and restoring links between them and their families is one of the ICRC’s top priorities in Haiti. Marc Studer is in charge of restoring family links in Port-au-Prince. He explains how the ICRC works in partnership with the Haitian Red Cross, UNICEF and local organizations.

For 11 years, young Yusuf Muhammad had not seen his mother because he had fled the conflict in Darfur and crossed into Chad while she remained in Sudan. Through sheer determination on his part, and help from the ICRC, mother and son are now back together.

The testimony below is that of a 17-year-old former child soldier and current student of the Child Advocacy and Rehabilitation Centre (CAR) run by the Liberian Red Cross, which supports children who were affected by Liberia’s 14-year civil war. Students between the ages of 10 and 18 are provided with psychosocial counselling, skills training such as tailoring and masonry, recreational activities and accelerated learning programmes.

In Bogotá's Good Shepherd prison, dozens of women who had fought for one of Colombia's many armed groups struggle to maintain ties with their children. Sandra is one of them, and she is clinging to hope for her future, despite a long prison sentence.

Journalist Nima Elbagir and cameraman Jake Simkin visited the ICRC-supported Mirwais hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Here, they share their impressions of the humanitarian situation and of the ICRC and its work in the hospital.

The population of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, has nearly tripled since 1994 owing to the many waves of people driven from their homes in the countryside. The city's infrastructure was not prepared for such an increase, and over half of residents don't have regular access to drinking water. This has led to poor hygiene and a growing incidence of disease, particularly among the displaced people who have found refuge in the city. Here are portraits of three of them and their daily struggle to find clean water.

With most gang leaders in jail, the violence that ravaged Cité Soleil between 2003 and 2007 has abated. But poverty fuels discontent, and the victims of violence remain one of the most vulnerable sectors of the population.

For 15 years, Mama Bona has taken care of children separated from their families as a result of conflicts the country has gone through. When she cannot find a family to host unaccompanied children and orphans, they are welcome to stay at her house.

In Southern Lebanon, an orthopaedic technician is helping victims of cluster bombs recover a semblance of normalcy. One of his most successful patients was only 11 when he lost both legs.

War in north-west Pakistan is causing more and more casualties. On a recent filming trip to the region, the ICRC's Jan Powell met 10-year-old Alina, who was badly injured in a bomb explosion and is now being treated in the ICRC's field hospital in Peshawar.

After more than 10 years of a long and painful separation from her parents because of war, a young girl found her grandmother, thanks to an ICRC radio announcement.

Since the conflict of August 2008, the ICRC has built up its presence in Georgia and South Ossetia in order to help people still suffering the consequences of the conflict. Sometimes, it’s as simple as delivering warm clothes to a school.

Not so long ago civilians fled conflict in Southern Sudan, finding refuge in other countries. The shoe is on the other foot, as the region takes in refugees.

In the chaos of conflict, adults and children often get separated and lost. In the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been ravaged by decades of war, hundreds of children are missing or separated. 17-year-old Shukuru hasn’t seen his parents for 8 months, but with help from the ICRC tracing team, he's found at least part of his family, and he can't wait to see them.

Travelling on roads, working in the fields or even walking to school are fraught with danger in many parts of Afghanistan. After decades of war the country is littered with landmines and explosives which continue to kill and maim. Among recent victims is 15-year-old Kabir who returns to the scene of his accident to tell his story.

"This film is trying to show now that all over the world there should be no child soldiers. I hope that in any country where there is a war, as long as they watch this film they have seen how we the children were destroyed." Tamba, former child soldier.
Tamba and other former child soldiers promote the message that children should not be recruited into armed forces or armed groups, nor take part in hostilities.

The kit describes those activities carried out by the ICRC to restore family links, provide care and protect unaccompanied children and child soldiers, among others. As both a work tool and a source of information, it covers the legal protection of children in situations of armed conflict and contains a summary of those provisions of international humanitarian law that apply specifically to children.
(All documents in pdf format)

This set of comprehensive guidelines outlines a framework and set of principles intended to ensure that the rights and needs of separated children are effectively addressed. Created through close inter-agency collaboration, the guidelines aim to promote and support preparedness, coordination and good practice based on lessons learnt. The document addresses all aspect of an emergency from preventing separations, to family tracing and reunification through to long-term solutions and encourages the pooling of complementary skills and expertise.

This brochure provides detailed information about the problem of child soldiers and outlines what should be done to prevent their recruitment, protect them and help them rebuild their lives after their demobilization. It is an ideal introduction to the provisions of international law that apply specifically to the participation of children in hostilities.

The life, health and dignity of children caught up in armed conflict require particular attention, so that the fighting will not endanger their future. This series of four posters focuses on the protection of children in war, child soldiers, restoring family links and rehabilitation. The posters highlight the specific problems facing children affected by armed conflict and promote respect for the laws that protect them.

In a country as large as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), locating and reuniting family members separated by the conflict can be a complicated matter, especially during the rainy season when some areas are inaccessible. Svetlana Yudina, who runs the ICRC's programme to restore family links in the DRC, reports on a special flight to the capital Kinshasa with 42 children on board.

International humanitarian law clearly states that children's rights must be respected during armed conflict. However, this does not always prevent children being affected by violence in various ways. In this interview, the ICRC's child protection adviser, Kristin Barstad, describes the ICRC's approach to the issue.

United Nations, General Assembly, 64th session, Third Committee, Items 65 of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 16 October 2009

Ministerial Side Meeting on Paris Principles and Paris Commitments, United Nations General Assembly, New York, 29 Septembre 2009

United Nations, General Assembly, 62nd session, Third Committee, Item 66 (a) of the agenda, Statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), New York, 17-19 Octobre 2007

Speech delivered in Paris on 6 February 2007 by Alain Aeschlimann, head of protection activities at the ICRC, on the occasion of the conference "Free Children From War" organized by UNICEF and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Everywhere, family members are being thrust apart, never to see each other again. Yet there are still stories like that of Najibu. This article by Arne Perras appeared in the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung on Saturday 2 January 2010.

Although international humanitarian and human rights law provide special protection to children, too many of them are caught up in armed conflict. Red Cross, Red Crescent examines the problem and features portraits of children from conflict zones in Ethiopia, Russia and Sierra Leone - Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 3, 2003

Second International Policy Conference on the African Child: Violence Against Girls in Africa, Addis Ababa, 11-12 May 2006. Report by Florence Tercier Holst-Roness, Women and War Adviser for the ICRC.

Endorsed by the Council of Delegates, Geneva, 1995

Ten-year-old Alina lives in Khyber Agency in north-west Pakistan. At the ICRC'S field hospital in Peshawar she remembers the day when she was going out to play and a sudden massive explosion knocked her unconscious. The bomb killed her friend outright and left Alina badly wounded – both casualties of the fighting in the region which is taking a heavy toll on civilians.

This video spot conjures up the suffering endured by children in wartime and reminds us about the obligation, under the law, to protect them and respect their rights. The ICRC assists child victims of war and their families.

Annual report. Awareness-raising campaigns and appeals for funds. News. Texts of international instruments regarding child soldiers. Links. Conference calendar.

News. List of partners. General statistics on refugees worldwide. On-line reports. Geographical maps. Entire text of main legal instruments for the protection of refugees (special features on women and children). UNHCR chart.

Information on activities (education, health care, food security, etc.). News and press releases. Annual report on-line. On-line publications. Opportunity to sponsor a child or make a donation on-line.

Information and news by country and subject (weapons, children and war, AIDS, sanitary education, etc.). UNICEF activities. Catalogue of publications. Statistics. Press releases and declarations. Annual reports on-line.