Children and Conflict

Facts:

• 6 million children injured in the last decade due to war
• 2 million child deaths in the last decade due to war
• 13 million internally Displaced Children
• 300,000 Child Soldiers
• 10,000 victims of Landmines every year
• 10 million child refugees

(Source: UN-Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for children and armed conflict)

Sources of Information:

• Report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict (2005)
• The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) details the complex issues facing children displaced by conflict and the challenges to child protection in the future. There are articles and accounts of child refugees on the website. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child is published on its website.
• UNICEF's site also has information on related issues, such as small arms, landmines, the targeting of civilians, and the experiences of women and girls. Ten recommendations are made for improvement. The State of the World's Children (Annual Reports)
• UNICEF International Child Development Centre (Innocenti Research Centre) has completed research on the subject of Children and Armed Conflict.
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has some information on children in war and related documents.
• Children, Armed Conflict & HIV/AIDS A UNICEF Fact sheet
• The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children Report, Graca Machel’s groundbreaking 1996 UN report
  The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has news and documents related to the protection of children in war and the site describes the position and activities of the ICRC.
• The Women and Children in Crisis and Conflict Protection Act of 2005  Save The Children
• The Child Rights Information Network has an extensive publications catalogue directing visitors to articles, books and reports on a variety of children's rights themes. The site has information on children in armed conflict and on the Child Rights Caucus, as well as regional information on children's rights around the world. CRIN also publishes a newsletter and has a detailed list of publications and documents related to children in armed conflict.
• BBC World Service: children of Conflict : BBC reporters visit war zones to investigate the fate of children. Listen to child soldiers, wounded,lost and working children tell their stories.
• Conflict Plan International
• Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict - collect and disseminate information on violations against children in conflicts

Child Soldiers

In many countries, children and adolescents also take part as soldiers and in the armies. More than 300,000 children under 18 are fighting in armed conflicts in more than thirty countries worldwide. In many countries, both girls and boys are used as soldiers; girls are at particular risk of rape, sexual harassment and abuse.

• Basic Facts about Child Soldiers (Human Rights Watch)
• United Nations World Map of Child Soldiers
• Amnesty International - Child soldiers
• Global use of Child Soldiers - Map of where child soldiers are being used (Human Rights Watch)
• Children and Conflict - BBC World Service Information on Child Soldiers
• Children and Armed Conflict Project - Child Soldiers Centre for Defense Information

Sources of Information

• Report on Adult Wars, Child Soldiers UNICEF
• Amnesty International provides information on its Campaign to end the recruitment of Child Soldiers. There are also several documents.
• The Watchlist is a network of non-governmental organizations working to protect the security and rights of children in armed conflicts. The site has news and country reports on children in armed conflict.
• The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers provides information on child soldier news, appeals and international laws and standards. There are serval publications and documents available as well.
• The Human Rights Watch website contains facts on child soldiers, country by country reports on the issue and information on how you can help. It also includes the Child Soldiers Protocol and information on other international laws governing the use of child soldiers.
• The BBC World Service website has dedicated space to "Children in Conflict". "Children in Conflict" encompasses the issues of child soldiers, lost children, wounded children, child headed households, and child workers. Read and listen to the stories of real children and youth affected by conflict.
• Youth Advocate Program International's website has a page devoted to Child Soldiers, which has information on advocacy efforts and publications.
• The International Action Network on Small Arms has a detailed list of NGOs campaigning on child soldiers, as well as publications and information about girl soldiers.
• The Children and Armed Conflict Unit in the U.K provides updated news stories that relate to children and conflict. Information is available on themes such as the small arms trade, juvenile justice, child soldiers and international laws.