Children at war: 449 million live in conflict zones. in one year more than 8,000 died or were maimed

ROME – The Humanitarian Organization Save The Children presents the reportThe forgotten ones” and launch the video “Save the Survivors“, based on true stories that show the dramatic impact of war on the lives of girls and boys around the world, and the need to flee and embark on migratory journeys. Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria – some of the main nationalities of origin of the people who have lost life in the shipwreck of Crotone, in a desperate attempt to reach Europe – are among the ten worst countries for children to live in, according to the Report “The forgotten ones”, which reports the evidence of a research conducted by the Organization in countries affected by conflicts and is launched as part of the campaign Children under attackwhich denounces the dramatic physical and psychological impact of war on children and the serious consequences on their growth.

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Countries where it is impossible to be a child.

Afghanistan. Together with the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), it had the highest number of children killed or maimed by conflict in 2021: 633 children were killed and 1,723 were maimed by improvised explosive devices, blasts or explosive remnants of war .

Somalia. 793 children were killed or mutilated: for a decade the country has been marked by a dramatically high number of violations against the youngest, with an average of 847 girls and boys killed and mutilated every year.

Syria. It has the second highest rate of recruitment and use of girls and boys, with 1,301 cases reported: the worst figure ever reached in the country and dramatically up on 2016, when there were 961.

True story video. Save the Children released the videoSave the Survivors“, based on true stories that show the impact on the daily life of children living in war zones and the consequences of the horrors of the conflict. Stories that cannot leave you indifferent, such as that of Ruba, from Syria, who was only a few days when she lost her parents, killed by the explosion of a barrel bomb. Or of Dioura, 12, forced to flee and build a new life after the attack on her village, in Niger, by armed groups. And of Kibrom , 13 years old, who after traveling on foot for a month with his mother, sheltering in caves, is haunted by memories of the violence he saw during the journey and terrified at the idea of ​​suffering more.

Not only Ukraine, therefore. The war in Ukraine has brought attention to the brutality of conflicts and the terrible impact on children, but there are many other little-remembered wars around the world that have devastating effects on them. Around 449 million girls and boys lived in conflict areas in 2021. Of these, more than half – some 230 million – are in the most dangerous conflict zones, an increase of 9% on the previous year. Although the global figure of children living in countries in conflict in 2021 registers a slight decrease compared to the previous year (450 million), the dramatic nature of the phenomenon is evident, because it affects one in 6 children globally despite the fact that the survey does not include millions of war children in Ukraine, given that the conflict broke out in February 2022.

Another African record. During the reporting period, Africa had the highest number of children affected by conflict (180 million), followed by Asia (152 million) and the Americas (64 million). The Middle East has hosted the highest proportion of children living in conflict areas (1 in 3 children) and while Europe has had the lowest numbers and proportion, these numbers are expected to rise dramatically due to the escalation of violence in Ukraine. The Organization also points out that the verified incidents of denial of humanitarian access have increased significantly in the last three years, mainly due to the incidents in Yemen and in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

The analysis of Save The Children. Although the recorded number of killings and maimings in conflicts has decreased by about a third since 2018, more than 8,000 children died or were maimed in 2021, an average of 22 per day. The Organization predicts that this number will tragically increase due to the evolution of various contexts of conflict including the war in Ukraine, where so far 438 children have been killed and 851 have been injured since the beginning of the conflict. According to the analysis of Save the Childrenwhich is based on the number of serious violations recorded by the United Nations, the intensity of the conflict and the percentage and number of children growing up in conditions of violence as a result of it, Yemen tops the list of the 10 worst affected countries conflict where to live for children in 2021.

Fewer violations, but also a drop in reports. The decline in the overall number of serious violations against children since 2020, the Organization points out, is likely due to fewer reports due to increasing access restrictions. Serious violations against children – including recruitment, kidnapping, sexual violence, denial of humanitarian access, attacks on schools and hospitals, killing and maiming – can have a profound impact on their lives, ranging from from physical to psychological trauma, from debilitating or life-altering injuries to death.

“It’s hard to live without a leg.” Zaid, 9, from Yemen, lost his leg in a bombing while playing with friends. “It’s hard to live without a leg,” Zaid said. “Before, I used to play soccer, run and hang out with my friends, but then a grenade hit me. Now I stay at home and play with my toys.” The worst conflicts are often the ones that are talked about the least. The Report”The forgotten ones” also includes an analysis of media coverage in the 10 most conflict-affected countries since the war in Ukraine escalated in early 2022 by media monitoring platform Meltwater, between January 1 and September 30, 2022 In recent months, Ukraine has received five times more media coverage than all ten countries affected by the worst conflicts for children combined. During the same period, Yemen – the worst conflict-ridden country for children – had just 2.3% of media coverage as Ukraine.

The resources of the players. While multiple factors can influence how donors distribute funds, as of November 4, 2022, Humanitarian Response Plans (HRP Plans) funding for countries affected by the worst conflicts for children in 2021 was funded on average only 43%, leaving millions of children without access to life-saving necessities such as healthcare and food, as well as education and protection services. As of Nov. 4, Syria’s HRP was only 27.5% funded, while Myanmar’s was only 22.5%. Ukraine’s updated appeal, on the other hand, was funded at 68.1%.

The average that affects 22 children a day. “Children do not cause or initiate wars, but it is undeniable that they are the biggest and most vulnerable victims of any conflict,” said Daniela Fatarella, Director General of Save the Children. “Although reports of serious violations decreased slightly in 2021, an average of 22 children a day were still maimed or, worse, deprived of their lives. The situation is set to worsen as conflicts continue in Ukraine and in other countries, such as Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria, where after 12 years of conflict and economic crisis, children are now also suffering the negative impacts of the devastating earthquake.

The world’s commitment to protect minors. The focus on the war in Ukraine has reminded many of us of the brutality of conflicts and their terrible impact on children, but it is also a lesson in what is possible when there is sufficient collective political and financial will to ensure that children get the life-saving help they need. The world must continue to protect Ukraine’s children, while doing much more to ensure that children in other conflict-affected countries are cared for,” he concluded. Save the Children calls on world leaders, donors, members of United Nations and NGOs to protect children by ensuring the prosecution of individuals responsible for serious violations against children in armed conflict, ensuring the ratification and implementation of all relevant legislation and policies, and prioritizing funding for child support affected by conflicts.

The “Children Under Attack” Campaign. Among the children who manage to survive, some have known nothing but violence or refugee camps. These girls and boys need to be protected from the physical and emotional wounds they inevitably suffer. The war in Ukraine has brought attention to the brutality of conflicts and the terrible impact on the little ones, but there are many other little-remembered wars in the world that have devastating effects on them. Among these, those in Syria and Yemen, whose sad anniversaries occur in March of the outbreak of the conflict, now in its twelfth and eighth year.

The petition. With the petition “Children in war are under attack. We punish the crimes committed against them”, the Organization calls on the Italian Government to listen seriously to children who are victims of serious crimes in legal processes, to expand universal jurisdiction to allow prosecuting those responsible for serious violations of their rights anywhere in the world, to document crimes against children and allocate resources to strengthen existing mechanisms.