The worst places to be a child today are Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Somalia, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, says Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen, head of Swedish Save the Children's international work.
Children have, according to the UN Security Council, special rights in war – rights that, according to a new report from the children's rights organization, are repeatedly violated.
We see that the laws of war are not respected, and it affects children terribly. There are more bombings in densely populated areas and against civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and water systems, says Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen.
Mental Support
The largest number of violations of children's rights was reported, not unexpectedly, in the Palestinian areas, but also in Sudan, where the number of violations has quintupled in 2023.
My colleagues working in the field report that they have never seen a situation as difficult as in Gaza right now, where there is a lack of clean water, food, medicine, and functioning hospitals.
Besides humanitarian efforts, Save the Children works to ensure that children in war zones also have the right to education.
It gives children a sense of normalcy and security and hope for the future. Even mental support to process the traumas that will likely haunt them for the rest of their lives is extremely important, says Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen.
Make Children Visible
Save the Children demands clearer evidence from the world's decision-makers that they prioritize children.
I would like to see a strong condemnation from all the world's decision-makers every time a school is bombed, every time a child is killed, every time a child is kidnapped and recruited, and every time humanitarian aid is denied, says Chatterjee-Martinsen.
Even at home, Save the Children wishes that children would be more visible in the government's foreign policy and humanitarian policy.
They say very often that they prioritize children and children's rights, but in the foreign policy declaration, children were not mentioned at all.
We wish that the Swedish government would condemn all violations of children's rights. They have done so in the conflict in Ukraine, and we would like them to do so in all conflicts.
The resolution lists six serious violations against children in conflict:
1. Killing and maiming of children
2. Recruitment and use of children in armed forces
3. Abduction of children
4. Attacks on schools or hospitals
5. Sexual violence against children
6. Denial of humanitarian assistance
Source: Save the Children
