Child Soldiers

Around the world, an estimated 250,000 children—some as young as 7—are involved in armed conflicts. Children are exploited in state-run armies, paramilitaries, and rebel groups. Coerced, enticed or abducted, these children serve as combatants, porters, spies, human mine detectors and sex slaves; their health and lives are endangered and their childhoods are sacrificed.

Media Contacts:

Laura Blank

lblank@worldvision.org

p 646.245.2496

Young children playing at war. PHOTO: World Vision / Jon Warren

Image of child soldier, courtesy of Change.org

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The Latest

Up to the minute news, press releases, media and more.

Feb 12, 2015

Nutrition training empowers mother to keep her child nourished

When Fiston Kengawe was just 14 months old, his grandmother took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with acute malnutrition. World Vision works to help children suffering from malnutrition but also trains and educates families how to better feed and care for children like Fiston.

Feb 12, 2015

South Sudan: Former child soldiers released, long road to recovery begins

An estimated 3,000 child soldiers are expected to be released by a rebel group in South Sudan in the coming month. These children must undergo a complex rehabilitation process in order to recover from the horrors they have experience.

Fatima, 8, and her friend, Sathi, 7, live at a center for vulnerable children in Bangladesh. The center, run by World Vision, cares for children who are living on the streets or in local brothels with their mothers. PHOTO: Jon Warren / World Vision

Feb 10, 2015

Next week’s meeting at UN key moment for children, says World Vision

Ending extreme poverty is only going to be possible if governments gathered for next week’s post-2015 meeting focus efforts on reaching all children, especially those living in war, fragility and instability, World Vision said Monday.

A World Vision staff member listens to children during a focus group in South Sudan. PHOTO: Melany Markham / World Vision

Jan 29, 2015

Release of former child soldiers in South Sudan is just the beginning, says World Vision

Former child soldiers, like the 3,000 to be released in South Sudan, have a long way to go in their recovery. Supporting them at every stage will be vital, says World Vision child protection experts.

Jan 14, 2015

Child protection unit finds trafficked girl

When Sita* went missing from her home in India, her mother turned to World Vision for help.

A girls' school in Pakistan. PHOTO: World Vision / Asif Raza

Dec 16, 2014

Schools should be havens for children, who deserve peace and protection

World Vision joins with millions around the world in mourning the loss of so many children in Pakistan today, whose potential and bright futures are now lost to their community, country and the world.

Dr. Anne Peterson with World Vision testifies at a Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Ebola Wednesday.

Dec 15, 2014

World Vision health expert testifies at Senate hearing on Ebola

Dr. Anne Peterson, a public health expert who recently returned from West Africa, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on gaps in the Ebola response and how local partners could better connect with the interfaith effort to stem the disease.