By Tanmay Mehra:
The world is an ugly place. Wars ravage our planet left, right and center. Millions die in this perpetual cycle of destruction. Among the multitude of numbers, we often forget the very real stories of people and further we also forget many of the people who suffer.
It is one of these groups of people that we are going to talk about today. The children.
Children are the most scared of any war. They are young, impressionable and defenceless. Their entire lives get spoilt by wars that they have no hand in. Yet they suffer.
According to Relief Web:
“Children told the charity they witnessed family members killed in front of them, dead bodies and blood in the streets, and bombs destroying their homes. Others shared stories of family members shot by snipers, blown up by landmines or hit by explosive weapons as they fled.”
The majority of children – and 78% of girls – said they had nightmares or were unable to sleep.
All over the world, millions of kids are uprooted from their normal lives and thrust into this strange world from which they never come back. What’s unfortunate is the fact that our wars have waged on for so long, that many kids are simply born into this hellscape. Psychologists warn of lasting psychological damage if not treated properly.
The impact on these children and their future is unimaginable. Their education is shot, their development hindered by the constant violence and despair.
What’s even more worrisome is the fact that it is on their shoulder that the mantle of the world will fall. And if they are broken and damaged by these wars that we wage, what will become of this world?
Below are some astounding stats and facts about these children of conflict:
A version of this post was first published here.