Children of conflict zones around the world

Children watch a rally through a home window fence as Palestinians call for a 'day of rage' to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in Gaza City, 1 July 2020.Reuters

As most Muslim kids all over the world celebrated Eid, children of Palestine were being killed and injured. Those who weren't, had to mourn the death of others. Relentless bombing by Israel left Gaza in loud explosions and shaking buildings. Children's live lives of terror and tragedy in the multiple conflict zones around the world.

As we all know, Palestine is currently suffering from Israeli attacks. Rom 9 to 15 May in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, one 16-year-old child was killed and 54 children from Palestine were injured. Also, 26 children were arrested and multiple schools were damaged. The age of the children who were killed start from as young as 6 months to 17 years old.

Afghanistan is identified as "the worst place to be born in" by UNICEF. It is indeed the worst place to be born in. Many children are suffering from mortality, malnutrition, forced marriage and sexual abuse. And 46% of the Afghan population are suffering from poverty. With an average citizen's annual income being Tk 31,321, Afghanistan is the world's 2nd poorest country. Therefore, 20% Afghan children are expected to work as street vendors, water carriers, cardboard collectors, shoe polishers, taxi solicitors, or domestic servants in order to support themselves and their family. With the parents earning little money, they play important roles in their family's earnings. Under the Taliban regime, thousands of children were brainwashed and forced into terrorist groups, given training and finally sent to war. Children who were barely 6 were used as suicide bombers.

About 60% children in Afghanistan are given proper education and 72% of the adults are illiterate. The education systems lack infrastructure. The highest number of terrorist attacks are aimed at schools, particularly girls' schools. Children's mortality rate is particularly high and life expectancy after birth is the lowest. 87% deliveries take place in the pregnant mother's home. This is due to the highly patriarchal Afghan society. Women are rarely allowed to leave home, even if it's for the hospital.

70% of the population don't have access to drinking water. There are a very limited number of hospitals and medical officers lack proper training and appropriate equipment.

South Sudan has been involved in two civil wars. Due to the conflict, children are suffering from lack of access to food and health services, recruitment into armed groups, murder or injury, dropping off of school and severe poverty. Some out-of-school children are living in pastoral communities, taking care of their cattle and can't attend regular classes. Most of these children are in fact girls. Poverty, forced marriage and cultural or religious views are usually why these girls can't attend school. And 75% of child deaths are due to preventable deceases like diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia. Children living in the streets are at risk of being exploited or being victims of violence.

In Syria, 90% of the children need support as violence, economic crises and the pandemic pushes families to the brink. As the conflict in Syria reaches 10 years, it has left the lives of the youth hanging on by a thread. More than half a million children under the age of 5 in Syria are suffering from stunting as a result of chronic malnutrition. Around 2.45 million children in Syria and 750,000 Syrians in neighbouring countries are out of school. Almost 12,000 children were either killed or injured. More than 5,700 children were recruited into the fighting. The reported number of children showing symptoms of psychological distress have doubled in 2020. A lot of them are victims of shock or trauma showing that the conflict has clearly taken a toll on their mental health.

Children are being robbed of their childhood and future, all because of these irresponsible adults. Bringing peace to them should be one of our main priorities.

Yemen is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the country has become a living hell for its children. The situation only got worse after the pandemic. Just half of the health facilities are functioning. Those that are lack basic equipment such as masks and gloves, let alone oxygen supply and other essential equipment needed to treat COVID-19 patients. Many health workers aren't even getting paid. Many don't have access to education or hospitals leaving their basic human rights violated.

Children are engaged in the worst forms of child labour, including armed conflict in Somalia. They are often involved in dangerous work like this. The worst part of all this is that Somali laws don't even prohibit child trafficking for labour commercial sexual exploitation or the recruitment of children by non-state armed groups. Somalian kids have to suffer from extreme poverty. Malnutrition persists in Somalia due to years of conflict and limited resources. Around a third of 79,000 deaths of children under the age of 5 in Somalia are thought to be because of malnutrition.

The youth in countries that aren't conflict zones aren't doing that well either. Take our own country for example. A lot of children are in the streets, trying to make a living. Some can't attend school, some are victims of abuse. In conclusion, children are victims of trauma, discrimination, poverty, hunger, etc yet no one bats an eye. Their rights are taken away all the time. Nobody should have to struggle the way they do. These children are being robbed of their childhood and future, all because of these irresponsible adults. Bringing peace to them should be one of our main priorities. Otherwise, most of the youth will grow up living miserable lives trying to deal with this in a dystopian future. All sides need to step back and stop this violence and acknowledge the fact that we are the future.

* Pieta Aamara Rahman is a student of Class 7