When I think about Ukraine and the suffering of children there, my mind drifts back to the seven years I spent in Eastern Ghouta. I don’t know why, but I am certain that the suffering they are enduring now was a part of my harsh past.
When we talk about children, we talk about hope and the future, about small dreams struggling to grow in a harsh world. But there are children in this world who are still fighting daily just to survive and reclaim their stolen childhood. These children did not choose war; war chose them.
In Ukraine, the war has caused devastating losses for children, with around 2,200 children killed or injured during 900 days of conflict, leaving deep psychological wounds that threaten their mental and emotional well-being. Additionally, one million children have been deprived of in-person education due to insecurity, and robbed of their innocence and dreams.
In Syria, since March 2011, an entire generation has lived under the shadow of war. 30,127 children have been killed, including 198 who were tortured, and 5,229 children are still missing or forcibly detained, becoming victims of a conflict forced upon them. According to statistics from 2011 to 2023, 2.4 million Syrian children have been deprived of education, and 1.6 million more are at risk of dropping out, exacerbating the education crisis and threatening their future.
In 2023, the world witnessed a sharp increase in the number of children who were killed or severely injured as a result of armed conflicts. According to United Nations reports, nearly 11,649 cases of child-killing and maiming were recorded.
The figures indicate that more than 22,500 children were affected by grave violations in 26 conflict zones worldwide, with the largest number of violations concentrated in regions such as Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine.
These stories from Ukraine and Syria and the whole world remind us of the importance of peace for children. They need peace more than anything else. Children are the hope that will build the world of tomorrow, and we must all work to end conflicts and rebuild their future.
