Innocence of the city: the cries of the children of war at the International Day of Victims of Aggression – something for the fatherland – ✍️ M
On June 4 of each year, a global loud voice increased to remind us of a hard and painful truth: millions of children are not only spectators in armed conflicts, but rather objectives, such as Gasa Mashil, a United Nations expert. It is the international day of victims of the assault of innocent children, an opportunity to highlight the devastating effects of war on innocence and a resounding cry that these young people who have no guilt except that they were born at a time when adults fight.
Children, under the age of eighteen, are the most vulnerable segment of any society, and when armed conflicts burst, they are the most affected. The devastating effect of wars is not limited to direct physical injuries, but rather extends to six current violations, ranging from recruitment and their use in fighting, killing them, sexual violence, kidnapping and attacks against schools and hospitals, to deprive their most fundamental rights to achieve humanitarian aid. These violations are not only figures in reports, but rather real stories of crushed souls, and their childhood and its right to a sure future are stolen.
In the midst of this global suffering, we cannot lose sight of the children of Sudan, who pay a high price for a conflict and a rebellion of rapid support militias that do not have sin. Their good life, which was once filled with play and laughter, turned into a nightmare of fear, movement and hunger. Whole families are forced to leave their homes and properties, to find the children themselves on the displacement of areas and cities that they have not been visited before, and even they have not heard of it, use neighboring countries or to live in camps and camps that do not have the lowest elements and the loss they lived. The stories of the children of Sudan, who dream of returning home and schools, are a living testimony on the brutality of the wars and their impact on innocence.
One of the most odious forms of exploitation of children in wars is their recruitment and their mobilization in armed conflicts. Seeing children carry weapons instead of games and carrying military uniforms instead of school clothing, is a blatant violation of all international alliances and human values. Their weakness and their needs are sometimes exploited, and they are forced to commit acts that go beyond the capacity of their mind and their little cores to absorb them. The recruitment of children is not only negatively, but rather a destruction of their future and a culture of seeds of violence and hatred in them. The international community must remain firm against this crime and work to hold responsible for all those who commit it.
The suffering of the children of wars is not limited to the material side, but also extends to the psychological side which can leave deep effects which last for life. Psychological trauma resulting from scenes of violence, the loss of their loved ones and forced displacement can lead to serious psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic disorders. Consequently, providing specialized psychological support to these children is not a luxury, but rather an urgent need to allow them to overcome this ordeal, to recover from hidden injuries and to rebuild their life. Efforts should be combined to provide safe places to children, psychological support centers and education and entertainment programs, in order to restore them with a little hope and comfort.
The suffering of the children of the double wars when they are moved or refugees. They find themselves in an unknown journey, surrounded by the stranger, far from all that is familiar to them. They live in a state of constant uncertainty, commenting between the hope of returning to their homeland and the difficult reality of asylum. In asylum camps, they face serious challenges that include water, food and shelter, as well as the risk of disease and exploitation. Many children lose their opportunity for education and are deprived of their most fundamental rights to play and develop in a safe environment. The growing number of children and refugees in recent years require urgent international measures to provide them with protection and assistance and to create permanent solutions to their crisis.
The international interest in the question of the children of the wars is not the result of the moment. Since 1982, when the United Nations General Assembly has announced the large number of innocent Palestinian and Lebanese children victims of Israeli aggression, the United Nations has achieved the size of this suffering and the importance of protecting the rights of children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is one of the most precious international treaties, constitutes the basic legal framework for this protection.
About 20 years ago, the pioneering report of Grassa Machil was an important turning point because it drew global attention to the devastating effect of armed conflicts on children. This resulted in resolution 51/77, which was a new consensus between the Member States concerning the need for attention, advocacy and coordination efforts aimed at facing the weakness and violations of children in conflict situations. He also established the mandate of the special representative of the secretary-general concerned by children and armed conflicts, indicating a serious commitment to the United Nations.
Despite the progress made, because international children’s protection standards have experienced an evolution, and the schedules of the Security Council and the General Assembly have included this question in priority, the challenges still exist. In recent years, the number of violations against children has increased in many areas of conflict, which requires more efforts to protect 250 million children living in areas affected by the conflict.
The 2030’s sustainable development plan has just provided a global plan to ensure a better future for children, as for the first time a specific objective of putting an end to all forms of violence against children, and to end their abuse, their negligence and their exploitation. This objective, which will merge in many other objectives related to violence, represents a glimmer of hope for a future in which each child enjoys his childhood, far from the horrors of the wars.
At the International Day of Victims of Aggression of Innocent Children, we are renewing our commitment to work for a world where childhood is not deprived of conflicts. The efforts of governments, international organizations, civil societies and individuals must join innocence, protect these young people and provide them with the necessary support to be able to build a bright future, far from the specter of war and its misfortunes. Children’s innocence is the most precious thing we have and protects all of this.
