Stop the War on Children
When conflicts and wars erupt, the result is always the same: children pay the heaviest price. No matter where a war begins or why it is fought, children suffer most.
Their sense of safety is shattered. Many are forced from their homes, struggling without reliable food, clean water, or shelter. Their education is disrupted and their futures are put on hold.
Whatever the reason, wherever in the world, violence and trauma turns children’s lives upside down.
Eglantyne Jebb and her efforts to stop the war on children
The founder of Save the Children, Eglantyne Jebb, understood that. In 1919, following the atrocities toward children in the First Word War, she created Save the Children with a vision to recognize and protect the rights of all children worldwide. Her views were far from mainstream at the time. But, slowly, she made the world see that children had rights. Her relentless advocacy eventually led to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, backed today by almost 200 countries.
Jebb also knew that children are particularly at risk during violent conflicts. She once said, “All wars, whether just or unjust, disastrous or victorious, are waged against the child.”
That statement, made over a century ago, is as relevant today as it was back then- perhaps even more so. Save the Children leads in protecting children and their rights in conflict and war zones. We listen and respond to their greatest needs, advocate for their safety, and provide physical and mental health support.
To stop the violence against children, we must scale up our response
The effects of the current conflict in the Middle East are not limited to the countries directly involved. The conflict is unfolding across one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors, and the consequences are being felt globally. With the Strait of Hormuz blocked for months, food, fuel, fertilizer, medicines and other essential supplies have been delayed, rerouted or priced beyond reach.
For families already living through conflict, displacement or food insecurity, rising prices and disrupted supply chains can mean the difference between life and death.
While we are doing everything possible to find alternative routes and solutions, the disruption is putting hundreds of thousands of lives at risk. Surging fuel and fertilizer costs are also threatening food production and exports, pushing millions more children toward hunger, particularly in import-dependent countries. These disruptions are especially alarming for countries now entering planting seasons, many of which are already facing catastrophic humanitarian crises and have little capacity left to absorb additional shocks, including Sudan and Somalia.
As global headlines focus on geopolitics and financial markets, too little attention is being paid to the human cost of this war: the effects on child survival, nutrition and education that will continue long after markets stabilize.
Responding to these far-reaching and lasting impacts is at the heart of our humanitarian work in every major crisis.
It’s why we have our Children’s Emergency Fund with children at the very centre.
Save the Children is always among the first humanitarian organizations to respond with lifesaving support for children and their families. We act quickly, whenever or wherever the needs are greatest. The Children’s Emergency Fund allows us to reach children rapidly – providing protection and safe spaces; essentials like clean water, food and health care; education; and much more.
In every conflict or crisis, the stories children share are horrific.
“We suffered a lot and we had very bad days. The war was bad, and this has affected us in different ways. I don’t have the heart to say what has happened,” says Omera*, 16 from Afghanistan, who was forced to flee with her family after a rocket destroyed their home.
In all that we do, Save the Children adheres to basic humanitarian principles, derived from international humanitarian law. Action in a humanitarian crises, such as in Afghanistan, DRC, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Sudan and Ukraine, is aimed at saving lives and alleviating suffering. To achieve that, we act with complete impartiality, while complementing any humanitarian support given by the states involved.
According to guidelines from UNHCR, “This means that humanitarian action is based solely on need, with priority given to the most urgent cases irrespective of race, nationality, gender, religious belief, political opinion or class.”
Our resources go where the needs are greatest. We remain neutral and independent of the political and military actors and their aims.
Save the Children always works in collaboration with partners and local actors. In times of crisis, what children and families require is for humanitarian organizations to have urgent, unrestricted access to enable a full-scale response to their growing needs. That includes distributing essential supplies such as food, water, and blankets.
For children, it also means setting up child-friendly spaces to allow them to play and recover. It means delivering mental health and psychosocial support services for children and caregivers. And it means ensuring children continue to have access to education – by creating temporary learning spaces and repairing damaged schools.
All this must be done without bias and with respect and dignity. Through all of our work, we stay true to the beliefs and vision of Eglantyne Jebb.
We owe that to every child whose life is torn apart by conflict – we must stop the war on children regardless of who they are or where they live.