Children, the world over, are more and more becoming victims of aggression and terror. The United Nations points out that, “Every day, children living in warring areas across the globe are facing unspeakable horrors… Children are being caught in the crosshairs of warring parties at a staggering scale.”
Wars affect their life space physically, mentally and psychologically. When their homes are destroyed, when their parents are torn away from them by terrorist acts, when terror stares them in their face, they become victims of an unjust and terrorising world. Children get maimed from bomb attacks.
We have the following alarming data since 2005 from UNICEF:
104,000 children have been killed or maimed. An average of 10,500 children get killed or maimed every year. What is their fault?
Terrorist and warring groups have recruited about 93,000 children, at an average of about 8000 children annually. These children are used as child soldiers or helpers.
Child abduction is another crime. More than 25,700 children have been abducted. Three quarters are boys. Girls are abducted for sexual violence and exploitation.
Children subjected to rape and sexual violence number 14,200 at an annual average of 800 child victims.
The most distressing depressing fact is that humanitarian access has been denied to most of these children.
Destruction of schools and hospitals affect very badly people’s lives. About 14,000 schools and hospitals have been destroyed. We are witnessing the horror in Ukraine where Russia is throwing bombs in residential areas, over hospitals, churches, mosques, hospitals, and educational institutions. What a cruelty of a war-mongering nation! Will we want our children to live with such horror?
Wars cause other miseries like poverty, disease, displacement of people, migration etc.
In addition to wars, we need to reflect on other causes of terror on children. Unbalanced economic planning in countries cause economic deprivation of people, increase of poverty and tardy development. Nations, who favour a few rich to amass more and more wealth, create unbalanced economy. In addition, corruption in the government and bureaucracy also affect people. In such cases children get badly affected.
What about children begging on the road out of poverty and deprivation? There are many children deprived of education. Many are forced into child labour.
The conscience of humanity needs to wake up. Educators, pastors, preachers, activist groups, and all men and women of conscience need to highlight, speak up, act positively and demand positive action from people’s representatives, national and international institutions and governments.
Educators have a great role in infusing their students with good moral principles so that, when they grow up, they will not become terrorists or war-mongers.