WASHINGTON, June 1 (RIA Novosti), Lyudmila Chernova – In 1949 the Women's International Democratic Federation passed a decision to establish an international day for protection of children.
Since that time June 1 is observed in many countries as Children's Day. The initiative was also backed by the United Nations which later declared protection of rights, live and health of children as its priority.
Nevertheless violations of children’s rights still remain one of the most urgent issues of the modern world. Millions of children all across the globe are denied their basic human rights, subject to psychological and physical suffering and get injured or killed in bloody battles.
Millions of children in conflict-torn countries face serious challenges that affect not only their physical, but also emotional well-being, Kristalina Georgieva, European Union Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, told RIA Novosti Sunday.
“Children are often recruited by armed groups as combatants or intelligence sources, for sexual exploitation and forced labor. They are also the most frequent victims of landmines. Children often cannot attend school during and in the immediate aftermath of conflicts - because schools are destroyed or because it's just too dangerous to get there and survival takes precedence over education. The long-term psycho-social effects of conflict can seriously undermine children's future. Conflict robs them of opportunities all children deserve,” Georgieva said.
At the same time she stressed that with due care and support children in trouble-hit countries still have a chance to reach their potential.
To help children fulfill themselves, as well as protect their basic rights, the European Union is conducting a series of child protection activities, the commissioner told RIA Novosti.
“The European Commission dedicates more than half of its funding to conflict-affected areas and nearly 12% - specifically to child-focused relief organisations. This is a high contribution compared with the global average,” she specified.
Moreover the EU is running a series of campaigns aimed at raising awareness about the enormous difficulties experienced by children who live in conflict zones.
“We have several campaigns, such as the "No Lost Generation campaign" for the children of Syria and the "Voices of children in emergencies" campaign that we run together with UNICEF.”
“A project with which I am particularly proud is the EU Children of Peace initiative, which gives a chance to children who have been denied the right to grow up in peace,” Georgieva adds.
Apart from well-known international organizations hundreds of non-governmental foundations aimed at protecting children’s rights in conflict zones are established worldwide on a daily basis.
According to Georgieva there are several obstacles hampering the work of such organizations.
“There are simply not enough funds to cover the immense needs in conflict situations; as a result, global humanitarian funding for children affected by conflict is limited. Another problem is the speed of reaction. It's much easier to raise humanitarian funds for malnourished children in the hope that they would survive than to raise funds for investment in prevention - making sure that children don't get malnourished in the first place.
The UN says that over a billion children live in countries affected by conflict. In 2013, an estimated seven million children were refugees and around 13 million were displaced within their own countries. Nearly 50 million children are denied their right to education.
