Two photos, on the left we see a boy sitting on top of a desk in a destroyed school; he has his back to us. On the right is a young man facing us dressed in traditional clothes.
Children are the most vulnerable in times of armed conflict. They become both targets and instruments of war. On the left is Usama in his former 6th grade classroom which is now littered with rubble after ISIS took over the school in Iraq. On the right is Ibrahim. He'd witnessed his father murdered by rebels in cars and pick-ups with rear mounted guns as they opened fire on men, women and children in Darfur, Sudan. Photo are from an exhibit of works by ©Paddy Dowling entitled "From Despair to Hope; Children Beyond Armed Conflict"

Resources

Leaflets, video and audio recordings, as well as other resources on how to look after a child through conflict and displacement.

Resources for caregivers

Documents

Publications

Multimedia

Related websites

Related observances

How To Look After a Child Through Conflict & Displacement

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) video is an audio recording of a leaflet developed for primary caregivers of children.

Available in: Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian, Arabic, and Turkish.

a girl and a boy look out with dismay as a fire burns behind them in a scence of war

25 Years of Children and Armed Conflict: Taking action to protect children in war.

Publication date: June 2022
Available in: English, Arabic, French, Spanish

Publication
Fact sheet

Maria, 12, Ukraine: Maria writes a poem from the perspective of a seven-year-old.

Photo exhibit "From Despair to Hope: Children beyond Armed Conflict"

Despite the horrors they have endured, children have a chance to recover from atrocities and become positive agents of change in their communities. But for that, they need our support.

This exhibit aims at reflecting on the complexity of the lives of children amidst conflict, emphasizing both the tragedy and the faith in a better future.