Last year, when I watched with horror a documentary telling tales of children caught in the crosshairs of Syrian civil war, I wondered if the excruciating accounts would jolt the world out of inaction after the loss of tens of thousands kids. Will the world finally stop massacres that have literally emptied the ancient land with departure of millions of people ?
But that never happened and Syrian children as indeed Iraqi, Yemeni and African children continue to suffer from the horrible consequences of regional and international strategic tensions, divisions and discords. The brutalities of oppressive regimes and militant groups like the ISIS and Boko Haram further dim prospects for normalcy for war-hit generation of kids.
The photo of a Syrian refugee kid lying dead facedown on a Turkish coast became a symbol of child victims of multiple conflicts. Then the Syrian regime has used besiege of towns and neighborhoods to inflict terror on families and children.
A generation of kids is already experiencing worst forms of exploitation in war-ravaged countries, where the young children are used soldiers. At other places, child labor is a curse that in majority of the instances deprives children of access to education.
The United Nations, which is among the very few organizations to have access to crisis-stricken areas, has released some of the statistics that speak of the woes and scars wars leave on kids. I would like to share some of these to highlight the predicament of the large part of humanity.
The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says children now account for more than one in three of the tens of thousands of refugees and migrants flooding into Europe, and sub-zero temperatures and snowy conditions piling more misery on them.
“The children arriving into a harsh winter in south-eastern Europe are physically exhausted, scared, distressed and often in need of medical assistance,” UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac told journalists in Geneva.
According to the world body, the conditions are exacerbating the poor physical condition of the children, as many lack access to adequate clothing and age-appropriate nutrition, a situation worsened by lack of shelter and inadequate heating in some reception centers, as well as on buses and trains.
Figures indicate that the proportion of children amongst refugees and migrants has continued to increase over the past three months. According to national sources, in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the ratio in December was 37 per cent, compared to 23 per cent in September. In Serbia, the figures were 36 per cent in December compared to 27 per cent in September.
In December 2015 most children transiting through UNICEF spaces in Serbia were babies, infants and those between five and nine years old. In 2015, more than one million refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean, arriving on Europe’s shores, of which an estimated 253,700 were children, one in four people.
UNICEF’s Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe, Marie-Pierre Poirier says that children are particularly susceptible to respiratory infections, digestive problems and diarrhoea. Non-controlled use of baby formula may also seriously affect babies’ health.
It also warns that there remains insufficient cross-border information-sharing and follow-up on the most vulnerable children, mainly d to the speed of the population movement.
The world body says In the past three months, UNICEF and its partners have provided 81,000 children with services in UNICEF-supported winterized child-friendly spaces in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia. In addition, nearly 18,00 babies and infants had received specialized services through UNICEF mother-and-baby care spaces.
Meanwhile, nearly 24 million children living in crisis zones in 22 strife-torn countries are being deprived of a school education, threatening their own future and that of their societies, the UNICEF reported last week.
“Children living in countries affected by conflict have lost their homes, family members, friends, safety, and routine. Now, unable to learn even the basic reading and writing skills, they are at risk of losing their futures and missing out on the opportunity to contribute to their economies and societies when they reach adulthood,” UNICEF Chief of Education Jo Bourne said .
The analysis highlights that nearly one in four of the 109.2 million children of primary and lower secondary school age – typically between six and 15 years – living in conflict areas are missing out on their education.
South Sudan, which was thrown into turmoil when conflict erupted between President Salva Kiir and his former Vice-President Riek Machar two years ago, killing thousands, displacing over 2.4 million people, and impacting the food security of 4.6 million, is home to the highest proportion of out-of-school children.
The UN says over half (51 per cent) of primary and lower secondary age children have no access to an education. Niger is a close second with 47 per cent unable to attend school, followed by Sudan with 41 per cent and Afghanistan with 40 per cent.
In countries affected by conflict, collecting data on children is extremely difficult and therefore these figures may themselves not adequately capture the breadth and depth of the challenge, UNICEF stressed.
The agency fears that unless the provision of education in emergencies is prioritized, a generation of children living in conflict will grow up without the skills they need to contribute to their countries and economies, exacerbating the already desperate situation for millions of children and their families.
Education continues to be one of the least funded sectors in humanitarian appeals. In Uganda, where UNICEF is providing services to South Sudanese refugees, education faces an 89 per cent funding gap.
“School equips children with the knowledge and skills they need to rebuild their communities once the conflict is over, and in the short-term it provides them with the stability and structure required to cope with the trauma they have experienced,” Ms. Bourne said.
“Schools can also protect children from the trauma and physical dangers around them. When children are not in school, they are at an increased danger of abuse, exploitation and recruitment into armed groups.”
The UNICEF says it is working to create safe environments where children can learn and play to restore normalcy to their lives. Despite these efforts, security restrictions and funding shortfalls are affecting education and the distribution of learning materials in conflict situations.
