Caritas on International Children's Rights Day: Protecting children and young people in times of war and conflict

2023-11-19 07:00:05

Knapp: “All children must be protected at all times. This is bindingly regulated by children’s rights and international humanitarian law, and we work towards this every day.”

Vienna (OTS) – Around 468 million children, i.e. one in six children worldwide, lived in a conflict area in 2022. Meanwhile, the number of armed conflicts worldwide continues to rise. This is reflected in record numbers of children forcibly displaced: at the end of 2022, around 43.3 million children worldwide had been displaced as a result of conflict and violence. Andreas Knapp, Secretary General International Programs of Caritas Austria: “Children are the worst affected by war and conflicts, they are the most vulnerable as they lose all protection from adults and are therefore exposed to significant risks of becoming victims of exploitation, abuse or violence. War and conflict violate all of a child’s rights: the right to life, the right to family and community, the right to health, the right to personal development and the right to education and protection. All children worldwide should be able to live a life without fear – that is what we as Caritas work for in our projects!”

Middle East: International humanitarian law requires the protection of children
With more than a thousand attacks on schools and more than 600 on hospitals, the highest number of violations of international law against children in conflict and war situations was recorded in 2022. Children face particular risks and events in childhood can have a much greater impact on children’s life trajectories and personal development, sometimes for life. Andreas Knapp: “We are currently seeing again how much children suffer in the Middle East conflict and how much they deserve protection and security. Over 4,600 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip so far and more than 9,000 have been injured. 32 children are among the Israeli hostages taken. Many thousands more children in the Middle East have lost parents or family members or are worried about their whereabouts. According to international humanitarian law, children must be protected at all times during wars and conflicts. As Caritas, our mission is to help people in need, regardless of their religion, nationality or origin. To enable this assistance, we call for ensuring humanitarian access to the people of Gaza, protecting civilians, releasing all hostages and establishing a humanitarian ceasefire to end suffering on all sides.”

Ukraine: Safe places for children – This is how Caritas helps
The figures make it clear how much the rights of children are threatened in Ukraine after almost two years of the Russian war of aggression. The war displaced two-thirds of the country’s 7.5 million children, killing 494 and injuring 1,036. Especially in times of war, it is important to offer children a safe haven where they can be children, play carefree and develop, at least for a limited time. “That’s exactly what we as Caritas do together with our partner organizations: in so-called Child Friendly Spaces, children and their parents are given the opportunity to breathe deeply. They are looked after by educationally and psychologically trained staff in child-friendly rooms,” explains Andreas Knapp. “We also support projects that teach children important social skills. In addition to this psychosocial support, we provide humanitarian aid in the form of food or hygiene packages and help with evacuation or through individual family assistance for people in emergencies.”