The way we protect children in war and disasters
In wars and other humanitarian crises, we prevent and respond to violence, abuse and exploitation of children. We help provide lifesaving health care, medicine, food, and education. Civil-military relations makes all this possible.
One of Save the Children's most important mission is to protect children in war and disasters. We have been doing so for over 100 years - since the First World War.
But war means national armies, military and armed groups. Armed conflicts are complex, with many actors involved. In the Syrian war for instance, 1000 different armed groups were estimated to be present simultaneously. And in the midst of this chaos, families and children are trapped.
If we are to reach the children who need us the most - if we are to be able to give them protection and lifesaving assistance - we have to interact with the armed actors who have control over, or influence a certain territory.
Civil-Military relations enables our work for children in wars and disasters. Read more about how!
The war against children
For a child, war often means losing their friends and family and being forced to flee their homes and school. They also risk being subjected to sexual violence by armed actors - sometimes even by peacekeepers -, human trafficking, forced recruitment into armed groups, and other violence such as kidnapping, mutilation and death.
Today, more and more inhumane methods of warfare are being used, such as targeted attacks on residential areas, schools and hospitals, chemical weapons attacks and the use of children as suicide bombers.
Children's lives are shattered in a war they have not been involved in creating. The number of children killed or maimed in war has increased by almost 300% since 2010.
We ensure access to the children
In war, children are injured and die not only because of military attacks, but from starvation and diseases. This is because food, medicine and humanitarian aid are all too often prevented from reaching them. Preventing the lifesaving provisions from reaching civilians has become another weapon in an inhumane war strategy.
In order to gain access to children and their families, we must build relationships with all actors involved in a war, including armed actors. This is a prerequisite for us to do our job. By creating understanding and acceptance for our work, we can gain the trust required for us to access children and their families. This must however be done in a systematic and safe way, without ever jeopardizing the humanitarian principles: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, and Independence. We are never to be associated with any of the warring parties and thereby risk losing access to all children.
In addition, attacks on aid workers are becoming more common. To provide support to our country offices and personnel working in war zones, as well as to ensure that we interact with armed actors in a systematic, safe and consistent manner, we have developed guidelines and policies.
Today, one in every six children in the world is living in a conflict zone
We protect children from violence by armed actors
Children must never be targets in war. Armed actors - whether national or international military, or armed groups - must respect the laws of war and other relevant provisions of international law.
We work to ensure that children's rights and protection of children are incorporated into military guidelines, policies and operational standards. For example, schools and hospitals should not be used for military purposes, as this could make them military targets. States must also do their utmost to ensure that children are not recruited into military and armed groups.
We monitor and report serious crimes against children in war and we work to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.
Armed actors are often the ones who expose children to risks and violence, but they can also play an important role in their protection. We train military, armed groups, peacekeepers, police and border personnel in international humanitarian law and children's rights. We make them aware of how children are affected by armed conflict and how they best can serve and protect children. We have trained NATO, the African Union and other peacekeeping forces, as well as armed groups around the world.
But there is still much to do.
CIVIL MILITARY RELATIONS IS ABOUT
- Negotiating and securing access to vulnerable populations in war zones and disasters, so that we can reach out with protection and lifesaving assistance
- Protecting schools and hospitals from attack
- Preventing violence against children by armed actors
- Preventing and responding to recruitment of children into armed forces and groups
- Capacity building of military and armed forces to ensure children are protected
- Facilitating the inclusion of child rights awareness and child protection in the operations of military, police and armed non-state actors
- Supporting our country offices by developing policies and guidelines on how to engage safely with state and non-state armed actors in the field
- Monitoring, addressing and reporting child rights violations
- Ensuring the safety of our staff
Want to know more about our work?
Please contact: John.reinstein@rb.se
