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CHILDREN IN WAR
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International Committee of the Red Cross19, avenue de la Paix1202 Geneva, Switzerland
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.icrc.org© ICRC, November 2009
Front cover: Christoph Von Toggenburg/ICRCBack cover: Claire Kaplun/ICRC
All the names used in the brochure have been changed to protect the identities of the children.
 
Child trafficking, for purposes such as unlawful adoption and forced labour, may also increase. Boys and girls deprived of the protection of their parents and other relatives are most at risk.Destitution and the loss of close relatives may force young girls into early marriages or prostitution and very young children to become the heads of their families. The disruption of public services can restrict children’s access to health care and education. At least half of the world’s out-of-school children of primary school age live in conflict-ridden countries. In addition to their immediate suffering, children are also psychologically damaged by witnessing atrocities committed against their loved ones.But the resilience of boys and girls must not be underestimated. Well-targeted care can help them recover, cease to be victims of war, and take possession of their lives.Conflict increases the vulnerability of those who are already vulnerable, especially children. A child needs a family and a community that provide a nurturing and protective environment. The effects of war on the young can be devastating. In 2008, the number of children who had been forced to flee their homes, either as refugees crossing an international border or as internally displaced persons (IDPs), stood at 18 million.Conflicts, which today are often internal in nature, spare no one. Children are imprisoned, raped, maimed for life, even killed. Armed conflict tears families apart, forcing thousands of children to fend for themselves and to care for very young siblings. Exploitation of children, which often increases during armed conflict, takes many forms, such as forced labour or – in extreme cases – slavery. This may be the fate of children who have been recruited by armed forces or armed groups or of children in detention.
CHILDREN IN WAR
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“… a child means every human being below the age of eig teen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.”
Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 1

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