The Effects of War on Children
In the war situations, a major impact is seen among the children that do vary from adults or seniors. Children stand in the age-group, which demands complete care, love, attention, and empathy. The disruption of kids’ attachment gets affected in the wars. It can be either losing the guardians, parents, or preoccupation can be a great disruption.
The children suffer the most trajectory phase in life in the war times. Childhood gets abandoned in many ways by war times.
Childhood devastation after the war
- No education:
Education is no more a thing to consider in childhood in war times. A major impact suffered by children is the destruction of education or no prospects for schooling. To fight against any conflict or poverty situation, education is the most powerful weapon. Children lose this weapon in times of devastating wars.Â
- Forced to become refugees:
To be back in normal life, children are made to become refugees or stay in hidden camps to wait for the crisis to end.
- No food or shelter:
The economy gets shattered, and other things are also impacted, including jobs, agriculture, infrastructure, and industries. Often, the conflicts happen in the countries suffering from extreme poverty. In such a situation, it becomes difficult for parents to support children’s food, shelter, and other necessities. Children’s schooling may be stopped to do small jobs. This often results in the economy to experience poverty where children are struggling on the streets.
- Suffering from disability:
The war equipment such as bullets or bombs leaves children in a dying situation or making them disabled. Some facts reveal that in about 50-60 countries, children under the age group of 18 years get recruitment in militias. In the warfare destruction, many children face death every year. After the conflict times come to an end, landmines become a cause of creating threatening times for children. It can result in affecting children become disabled for life.
Children are victims of landmines where they die or face acute disabilities. When a child loses a limb, it takes about ten years to get the prosthetic limb to be fitted. Â
- Severe injuries
The warfare destruction results in affecting the lives of many children by leading to severe injuries. Some weapons may even result in killing the children. For instance, the explosion of landmine may result in affecting children’s lives.
- Death caused by treatable illness
In times of war, not only humans but the infrastructure is also devastated. Children’s death count increases due to the impact of war indirectly. The hospitals, care centers, and medical professionals are forced to either get flew away or killed. A huge population of children experiences death caused by treatable illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea, and much more due to the lack of healthcare facilities to perform the treatment. The children who are forced to become refugees die due to the infections or facing severe malnutrition.
- Sexual vehemence situation
In the war destruction, sexual vehemence or rapes are common weapons. The females or girls under 18 years may even become pregnant or are severely injured to become a mother in the future. Or girls suffer from several diseases that are transmitted by rapes such as AIDS/HIV.
- No social life
The children or young people surviving in war times are left with no social life. The girls become rape victims, and this leads to losing any social life or even opportunities to get married.
- Serving as soldiers
For the recruitment of militias, a large population of the kids under the age of 18 years is serving in many countries.
- Psychological disturbance
The war times come with a terror situation in front of children. This experience may result in creating psychological disturbances among children. They experience mental stress or other psychological disorders.
Is there any hope?
In the war destruction, a major impact is experienced by the children’s age group. The times may seem unconquerable, but still, hope is present. For the people, it is crucial to understand that the affected population of children have the desire to stay alive and live. For this survival, there is a need to make them availed with the right facilities, including:
- Good environment
- Support
- Care
- Protection
It is crucial for people such as educations or other social welfare thinkers to understand the needs of children affected by wars or children refugees shifting from countries-to—countries to get settled. It is a must not make the children affected by war situations feel like they are the victims who can’t get any help. Motivators can check this out to make these children learn about their strengths.Â
In the educational or other programs, the war refugees or young sufferers of the wars should give proper opportunities or resources to be back in building a life. Also, a good environment can help them to survive.
