The devastating effects of war on children
17-11-2009 Photo gallery
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.
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Gaza city, the occupied Palestinian territory. A young girl, whose home (in the background) was destroyed by fighting.
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.
The number of children forced by conflict to flee their homes as refugees or IDPs in 2008 has been estimated at 18 million.
In Isale, Burundi, a young girl separated from her relatives by conflict gets her picture taken by an ICRC delegate to be used in efforts to locate them.
Children need the nurturing, protective environment of their family and community. Separated from their families, children are at great risk of neglect, exploitation, abuse, illegal adoption or trafficking. The very survival of babies and young children is at stake, while girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and early marriage.