23 July 2009
Helping conflict children around the world
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Millions of children around the world are affected by conflict. Their normal lives are disrupted, they may become separated from their families and often become refugees. In many countries, some children are even forced to become soldiers.
DFID is working to help children affected by conflict, to re-unite them with their families, to re-habilitate former child soldiers, and to prevent conflicts happening in the first place. We work with United Nations agencies such as UNICEF, non governmental organisations such as Save the Children, as well as other governments and partners. We've been supporting the Conflict Children campaign together with the newspaper First News and Save the Children over the past year.
Follow the links below to find out more about the issues, and what we're doing to help.
Children forced to fight
Many young people caught up in war zones around the world are forced to fight as child soldiers. Patrick was just nine years old when he was abducted by rebels in northern Uganda and forced to become a soldier. Find out what happened to him...
Re-integrating child soldiers in Sri Lanka
Over the past year, the UK has been working with UNICEF to support the re-habilitation and re-integration of ex child soldiers in Sri Lanka through their 'Bringing back the child campaign'.
In video: Everybody wants a peace
Watch videos about children in conflict made by young people from the Global Student Forum and Hannah from our DFID Youth Reporters team. Watch videos
Conflict Children slideshow: photos and competition artwork
Find out more about the DFID/First News Conflict Children campaign, and view our Flickr photogallery of images, including the winning artworks in our Conflict Children competition. Read all about it...