While society expects kids to be in school or helping their households in the fields or kitchen when not playing and enjoying days of fun and laughter, millions of children around the world get caught in a life of violence and bloodshed. Sadly these are the children who have been abducted, purchased, and evenhanded over by their own families, to participate in armed conflicts.
Even though history abounds with instances of children donning fatigues and fighting battles, it is only in recent times that the world is witnessing the disturbing trend on such a large brazen scale. Today children participate in conflicts both as victims and perpetrators. These are the children who have been robbed of a childhood, deprived of schooling, games, and other patterns of normal social behavior generally observed and expected.
The fate of such children who front-end the impact of global conflict makes for grim reality and a foreboding future.UNICEF chronicles these happenings in report after report.
Worst of crimes:
Responding to the recent spate of deaths of children in suicide carbombings, Ann Veneman, UNICEF, strongly deplored the actions of those who target innocent children, “The perpetrators of these attacks against innocent and unwitting children are shameful and wrong, and nothing can justify these acts. The killing of children cuts at the very heart of a society, and is the worst of crimes.”
It is estimated that some 10 million of the word’s children suffer severe long-lasting psychological trauma as a result of war experiences.
According to medical experts, one of the greatest challenges facing war-ravaged nations is rehabilitating children who see their families destroyed before their very eyes, and reintegrating them into a less harsh if peaceful society.
The psychological fallout is not confined to child combatants, according to aid workers, the impact of war on youngsters is sometimes difficult to assess. Traumatized children frequently go into a deep state of withdrawal and depression. Many ex-child soldiers find it difficult to reintegrate into society.
It is not just the physical and mental/emotional well-being that is at risk. Experts are trying to make it possible for children raised on a diet of conflict and bloodshed to develop into psychologically healthy adults, so they are capable of ending the cycles of hatred that spread bloodshed across the globe and across generations.
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