Every war is a war against children

“The only international language in the world is a child’s cry” said Eglantyne Jebb, who 100 years ago founded the charity Save the Children.

Today those cries for help are tragically more often as children are being harmed by conflict in record numbers. Every one of us can do more to help these children. We need to bring them peace and lifesaving humanitarian aid. The future of our world depends on it.

A new report by Save the Children says 420 million children worldwide are living in war zones. Titled Stop the War on Children, the report says that one in five children is experiencing the horror of conflict.

Carolyn Miles, President of Save the Children says, “Our report shows that a record number of children are being affected by conflict and that the way today’s wars are fought is causing even more suffering for children.”

According to the report, the countries where children suffer the most are war-torn Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria and Somalia.

Children are the victims of bombings and assaults in these most violent areas. They also fall victim to the byproducts of war: hunger and disease.

In each of the war afflicted countries there are food shortages caused by the violence.

When children become malnourished, they cannot fight off disease. They will become physically or mentally damaged with no hope of recovery. Sometimes they perish from the malnutrition if help does not arrive.

But help can arrive if we do more to stop these wars and ensure humanitarian aid. This cannot be done if we are silent.

We have to encourage our leaders to be diplomatically engaged to bring combatants to the peace table. In civil war-torn Yemen, for example, there was some hope last year when a ceasefire was arranged in the Hodeidah governorate.

Much more needs to be done in the way of confidence building measures to get the Saudi coalition and the Houthi rebels to forge a peace treaty and allow full humanitarian access. This will help save many children’s lives in Yemen if they can agree on a peace treaty.

Save the Children’s report details ways we can try to keep children safe when conflict arises. When the fighting does stop there is more we can do to help children recover.

As President Dwight Eisenhower observed, children impacted by war are forced to scrap in the garbage heaps looking for food to survive. Eisenhower asked how those children can become apostles of peace when they grow up in such harsh circumstances. We need to feed child war victims.

One way we can help children is by increasing support of agencies that fight hunger including Save the Children, the World Food Program, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps and UNICEF. By providing food assistance and agricultural support to nations afflicted by conflict, we can feed more children and prevent malnutrition.

As Eglantyne Jebb said “Every war is a war against children.” No society can have economic progress or stability if at war and with children suffering and hungry.

Our mission should be clear: to rescue children afflicted by war. This means being a voice for these children to encourage peace and humanitarian aid. Let the children live.