Africa: A Desperate Need for Help to Save Their Infants
Topic A: Child Recruitment by Armed Forces or Armed Groups in Easter and Southern Africa
All over the world, boys and girls are recruited by armed forces to do multiple tasks during conflicts. Boys serve as messengers, combats, spies and other perilous roles while girls are mainly used for sexual purposes.
It is estimated that over 120,000 children under the age of 18 years old are participating in armed conflicts across Africa. The majority of them are recruited by force, although some of them might have enlisted in a “voluntary” way because of the strong economic and social pressures.
These children are more exposed to violence than we think. They are forced to witness and commit violence on a daily basis, which leads them to suffer from atrocious traumas.
UNICEF has been working over the years to release children from these groups, returning them to their homes and reintegrating them in their society. According to the data, approximately 100,000 children have been released since 1998 in fifteen countries.
Useful links:
http://www.unicef.org/protection/57929_58007.html
Topic B: South Sudanese Children Struggling Against Starvation
South Sudan achieved its independence from Sudan in 2011 becoming the world’s newest country. President Salva Kirr has been struggling against deputy Reik Machar for the country’s power since December, causing violence and trouble in the country.
Both sides have violated the agreed ceasefires, in which Kirr’s followers fought against Machar’s, forcing people to abandon their land. As a result, thousands of civilians died and farmers couldn’t complete their harvests.
The food crisis this country is living has been rated as a “famine”, phase 4 in the standard global measure food insecurity. Families have to survive only with milk, others with fish caught in the swamps, and the less fortunate reaches their last choice, which is eating wild plants plucked on the ground or dry-roasted cow’s blood. Children are the most affected because none of the food mentioned before provides them the enough nutrients to develop themselves correctly.
Unless farmers start to plant again, by the end of the year 4 million South Sudanese will be dead. “Give me a month of peace so I can plant and I could look after my livestock”, a farmer said.
United Nations stated that $1.8 billion is needed in aid. Countries like Norway, Britain and United States gave more than $600 million. This war will not be ending soon, so the only thing we can do is either donate or pray for these people.
Useful links:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/20/south-sudan-starvation_n_5358169.html