What if you were a child who got separated from your family amidst the violence of war, only to end up in enemy territory with a new identity? Or if you were a normal girl, attending school each day only to have that privilege taken from you at a moment’s notice, making it illegal for you to pursue any further studies?
These are not hypothetical questions, but rather cruel realities for thousands of children caught up in the conflicts of adults across the globe.
First established in 1954, World Children’s Day was created by the United Nations to improve the welfare of children and “promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide.”
Five years later, on November 20th, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. The 2025 theme of this observance is, ‘Listen to the Future, Stand Up for Children’s Rights.’
In this essay, we’ll examine the conflicts that are having the greatest affect on children, discuss ways we can improve conditions across the globe, and spotlight some wonderful initiatives that continue to provide opportunities for future leaders.
Areas of Impact
Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, the removal of female teachers and denial of access to education for girls has not only impacted girls, but boys too. Many of them relied on female instructors for classwork and now those women have been replaced by under-qualified men, or have not been replaced at all, leaving crucial gaps in boys’ learnings as well. The domino effect of an entire generation having their education so abruptly stopped or at the very least stunted is devastating, to say the least. As long as The Taliban remains in power, this is likely to remain the status quo.
Gaza
Over 20,000 children have lost their lives in Gaza in the past two years, and of the survivors, the region boasts the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. In addition, 55,000 children have been reported as malnourished due to food scarcity following the destruction. The lack of nutrition and access to clean water due to loss of infrastructure also increases the spread of illness. Rebuilding will take years, but recent ceasefires have provided temporary glimmers of hope for an eventual end to the conflict.
Haiti
Political instability in Haiti has resulted in 85% of Port-au-Prince being controlled by armed militia. As a result over 1 million children live in a constant state of danger, with the percentage of sexual violence, specifically against kids, escalating 1000% (that’s not a typo) since 2023. Without a transitional government stepping in to restore order, the situation will remain dire for the foreseeable future.
Sudan
As the Civil War that began in 2023 rages on, children unfortunately are impacted the most. UNICEF reports the situation in Sudan as the “world’s largest child displacement crisis.” This is due to the amount of families forced to become refugees and orphans created by the violence. In addition, measles and malaria plague children in the area—a situation exacerbated by the fact that routine immunizations have plummeted in the wake of the conflict. Without a ceasefire and humanitarian aid, the terror will only continue.
Ukraine
7 million children (so far) have been impacted by Russia’s War on Ukraine. From being forcibly removed from their homes and “adopted” by Russian families or put into camps to receive “patriotic” Russian education, to outright murder, to 1300 of their schools being destroyed, without significant intervention and an end to the fighting, their future remains bleak.
United States
Since 2020, the leading cause of death for American children is firearms. That means kids in all 50 states are less likely to die from cancer, car accidents or disease than by gun violence. There have been 68 shootings on school campuses alone in 2025. In absence of sweeping legislation, these numbers sadly aren’t expected to fall anytime soon.
Progress
Australia
Making the mental health of children a priority, Australia will become the first country to ban social media for kids under 16, next month. The law, which takes effect on December 10th, is meant to shelter kids from cyberbullying and increased vulnerabilities to child predators. Denmark, France and Norway are all considering similar bans for the children in their countries. Hopefully more countries will follow in time.
Denmark
Since 1993, Empathy has been a mandatory part of school curriculum for kids aged 6 – 16. Klassens Tid courses emphasise the benefits of conflict resolution, fosters a sense of community, and shows the damage caused by bullying. They learn to listen to each other and discuss issues in a safe, supportive environment. As a result, Denmark has consistently ranked in the top 3 “happiest” countries for kids since its implementation.
Iceland
Ranking #1 on the KidsRights Index, Iceland devotes the most resources to ensuring children’s rights by way of education, environment and protections. They offer subsidized childcare, free schooling to the university level and nightly curfews for unaccompanied young teens. They also significantly reduced teen addiction rates by offering alternative activities (like martial arts, music, etc.) coupled with a strong sense of community to prevent them from starting bad habits … and their model worked.
How to Help
For the countries and regions consumed by conflict, we can help through grassroots advocacy by pressuring international leadership to bring peace to all, so that the next generations will never endure the suffering that’s happening now.
We can also be vigilant in our own communities, voting for legislators that align with our values of empathy and compassion, and encouraging all of the possible protections we can provide for our youngest citizens.
Of course there are many groups worldwide already working toward better lives for youth. Specifically, we’d like to acknowledge the everyday heroes in programs we’ve partnered with, such as Studio Samuel in Ethiopia, So They Can in Kenya, Teach Her in India and the GLOW Academy in the United States.
If you’d like to support education for young girls worldwide, please consider a donation to The Cynthia Lennon Scholarship for Girls. To make a contribution to combat hunger in conflict zones, communities in crisis or areas impacted by natural disaster, give to our Meals That Matter campaign in support of World Central Kitchen through December 26th, as many children will be helped by this effort as well.
Above all, never forget the generations who will follow, for they are our hope for a better future…
“Behind Closed Doors, 2014” © Julian Lennon is available for purchase on Artsy.
This breaks my heart to know even now women and children are still being forced to suffer and go without. When will the world say enough is enough. I am very glad that it is at least finally being brought to everyone’s attention on so many platforms…knowledge is power…power gives us all hope for a better safer world. Thank you for keeping that hope alive with this article.🙏💥💚🌍💙