World Day of War Orphans is annually observed across the globe on January 6 to create initiatives to ensure a better future for children who have been left orphaned by war and to raise awareness of the need to preserve their human rights globally.
- The day provides a platform for discussing the problem of war orphans and emphasising the difficulties children experience as they develop emotionally, socially, and physically.
Aim:
The day highlights the lives of the children who were affected by the outcomes of the war and aim for the betterment of their future.
Background:
The French organisation SOS Enfants En Detresse (SOSEED), which aimed to better the lives of children impacted by conflict, established the World Day of War Orphans.
War Orphans- A child who has lost both parents or, less commonly, one parent through civilian deaths in the war.
Children in War and Conflict- UNICEF:
i. According to United Nations Children’s Fund, United States of America (UNICEF USA), Over 400 million children, live in countries experiencing violent conflict, many of them are forcibly displaced and seeking refuge alone and orphaned.
ii. In more than 140 countries, UNICEF offers evidence-based violence prevention interventions against children as well as response services.
War in Ukraine- UNICEF:Â
i. More than 9 months of increasing destruction and displacement have been experienced by the children and families of Ukraine.
ii. Children continue to be killed, wounded and deeply traumatised by the violence all around them. Families have been separated and lives are torn apart.
Key Points:
i. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the number of orphans is larger in areas affected by wars and major diseases.
- An estimated 153 million children worldwide are orphans (UNICEF).
ii. The estimated total number of orphans grew between 1990 and 2001, but since then, according to UNICEF, the number has been slowly declining at a rate of just 0.7% per year.
About the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
Executive Director- Catherine M. Russell
Headquarters- New York, USA
Establishment- 1946
