We are War Child
A record 420 million children live in countries affected by armed conflict - that’s almost one in five children worldwide. And they are the ones who suffer most from the effects of war, violence and genocide.
We believe that no child should be part of war. Ever.
In 2018...
Highlights
We met the urgent needs of 216,903 children and adults
We worked with 53 partner organisations to help implement our programmes
We developed three new interventions in support of children - and pilot tested a further seven
We saw our income grow by €3.2 million compared to 2017
We employed 447 national and international staff to meet the needs of children worldwide
We received financial support from 45 institutions and foundations
We enjoyed the support of 90,000 structural donors
Can't Wait to Learn
Utilising technology to deliver quality education - wherever children have limited access to learning opportunities. Read on
New Methods for Effective Change
Developing an innovative new tool to meet the urgent mental health needs of children exposed to armed conflict. Find out how
Meet Our Ambassador
Michaela dePrince is a globally renowned ballerina - who escaped a civil war aged just four. 'I want to show children in war that they are not alone.'
Bridging the Education Gap
Working in coalition to meet the learning needs of refugee children and marginalised youth in Lebanon and Jordan. Read more
Samuel is Learning to Live Without Fear
Many thousands of children have escaped violent instability in Burundi in search of safety in neighbouring states - children like Samuel. Find out how he is working to rebuild his strength and wellbeing.
Introduction
Millions of children living in the midst of armed conflict face a number of existential threats to their safety and wellbeing. One particularly acute threat - and certainly an underreported one - is the immense toll exposure to violence takes on the mental health of children worldwide.
"This mental health crisis could see an entire generation of children denied the right to a future free from fear and trauma."
Tjipke Bergsma, Managing Director War Child
These children experience feelings of fear, anxiety and depression on a daily basis - yet the vast majority of them are denied mental health support. The mental health ‘treatment gap’ is estimated to be 85 per cent for children living in low income countries - and in countries affected by armed conflict the figure is even higher.
No Opt-Out in Conflict
This mental health crisis could see an entire generation of children denied the right to a future free from fear and trauma. And these negative effects don’t end there. There are a record 420 million children currently living with the effects of armed conflict - children in an uncertain situation who may have no option but to participate in violence themselves simply to survive.
War Child works exclusively to improve the wellbeing of children living with violence and armed conflict. We act in partnership with children and their communities to deliver relevant and effective interventions - and confront the global mental health crisis head-on.
Supporting Children Worldwide
To Build a Future Free from Fear
And bring about Meaningful Change
Our Progress in 2018
We made significant progress towards these goals over the course of 2018. We continued to deliver vital psychosocial support for children affected by the civil war in Syria. New interventions were developed and tested in our countries of operation. Can’t Wait to Learn - our innovative tablet-driven education programme - expanded to deliver quality education to increasing numbers of children.
"We will continue to advocate for vital psychosocial support to be included in international humanitarian responses."
Tjipke Bergsma, Managing Director War Child
Much has been achieved - yet the global mental health crisis will not be resolved any time soon. The terrible threat - that the current generation of children will be grow up to become a lost generation of adults - remains.
We will never be able to reach all of the world’s conflict-affected children by ourselves. But what we can do is campaign on their behalf and work with organisations around the world to bring about real, meaningful change.
Advocating for Psychosocial Support
We will continue to advocate for vital psychosocial support to be included in international humanitarian responses. We will continue our work to develop new interventions to tackle the mental health crisis - and make them available to organisations around the world.
We will do all this because no child should be part of war. Ever.