WarChild International

Canada, Netherlands, UK

www.warchild.org
War Child

War Child International is a network of independent organisations, working across the world to help children affected by war. This is an important area of concern relating to what causes children to be on the street of which SSSK should be aware. Children are sometimes displaced by conflict, their families may be dispersed or killed, and in some situations, children are forced to become soldiers and to fight. Many effectively become street children in one guise or another.

War Child Holland is focused on the psychosocial aid which is needed, and War Child Canada on vocational training. Both organisations have made peacebuilding an integral part of their projects. Children in warzones can have to cope with incredibly difficult circumstances. Not only can they suffer serious physical wounds, but can encounter abuse, deprivation and hunger. They can have problems with recurring nightmares, sleep disorders, incontinence, depressions, explosions of anger or anguish, concentration problems, and many more symptoms. Many are very somber about their future.

The War Child organisations run their own projects, but also work in partnership with local grass roots organisations, through both short-term emergency relief and long-term rehabilitation programs, to improve the living conditions and expectations for war-affected children. Their website includes a mass of useful background information.