World Day of War Orphans is annually observed across the globe on 6 January to raise awareness about the challenges faced by children who have been left orphaned by wars and about the trauma experienced by war orphans globally.
- The Day addresses social, psychological, and physical obstacles confronted by war orphans, protects their rights and well-being, and emphasizes the need for global attention and support.
Note:
- A war orphan is a child or children whose parent or parents died while serving in military duty.
- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) defines an orphan as any child under 18 who has lost one or both parents to any cause of death.
Background:
i.The observance of World Day for War Orphans was proposed and started by the French organization, SOS Enfants En Détresse (SOSEED; SOS Children in Need).
ii.It is an organisation dedicated to helping distressed children and bringing global attention to the immense suffering and trauma experienced by war orphans.
Note: Organizations such as UNICEF, the Red Cross, and numerous NGOs have been actively committed to supporting war orphans.
Violations Against Children:
In 2005, the UN Security Council identified and condemned 6 grave violations against children in times of war:
- Killing and maiming of children;
- Recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups;
- Attacks on schools or hospitals;
- Rape or other grave sexual violence;
- Abduction of children; and
- Denial of humanitarian access for children.
Children in War and Conflict:
i.UNICEF estimates that approximately 400 million children, equating to 1 child in every 5 globally, are currently living in or escaping from conflict zones.
ii.UNICEF offers evidence-based violence prevention interventions and response services to child victims of violence in more than 140 countries.
Note: As of November 2023, Sudan has become the largest child displacement crisis globally, witnessing 3 million children escaping widespread violence in pursuit of basic needs.
iii.According to UN-verified reports (June 2023), between 2005 and 2022, over 315,000 grave violations against children occurred in more than 30 conflict zones across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America,
- The actual number of violations is likely to be far higher.
About the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Executive Director– Catherine M. Russell
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
Established in– 1946
