“Over the last decade, 2 million children have been killed in conflict situations, over 1 million have been made orphans, over 6 million have been seriously injured or permanently disabled and over 10 million have been left with grave psychological trauma. "A large number of children, especially young women, have been made the targets of rape and other forms of sexual violence as a deliberate instrument of war.
“At the present moment, there are over 20 million children who have been displaced by war within and outside their countries. Some 300,000 young persons under the age of 18 are currently being exploited as child soldiers around the world. And approximately 800 children are killed or maimed by landmines every month.”
These are but a few of the cold statistics cited in the U.N.’s new website, “Children and Armed Conflict”.
“At the present moment, there are over 20 million children who have been displaced by war within and outside their countries. Some 300,000 young persons under the age of 18 are currently being exploited as child soldiers around the world. And approximately 800 children are killed or maimed by landmines every month.”
These are but a few of the cold statistics cited in the U.N.’s new website, “Children and Armed Conflict”.
Instead of being only an appalling compendium of our world leaders’ selfish failure to consider the future beyond their next election – if any – the U.N. is hoping to prepare the next generation for leadership.
“Imagine the impact of many thousands of schools all joined together in a movement to change the world. Think of the sound of millions of young voices simultaneously demanding an end to the killing, torturing, maiming, orphaning and abusing of their brothers and sisters caught in areas of conflict and war. Join young people throughout the world, as they stand united for the rights of children to be children, and for a future without fear, intimidation or indifference. Now is the time to act.”
“Imagine the impact of many thousands of schools all joined together in a movement to change the world. Think of the sound of millions of young voices simultaneously demanding an end to the killing, torturing, maiming, orphaning and abusing of their brothers and sisters caught in areas of conflict and war. Join young people throughout the world, as they stand united for the rights of children to be children, and for a future without fear, intimidation or indifference. Now is the time to act.”