The World Day of War Orphans is observed on January 6 every year. The day aims to raise awareness about children who have been orphaned due to wars. The objective of the day ensures to voice out the predicament of war orphans and highlight the emotional, social, and physical challenges children face while growing up.
The data clearly shows that millions of children have become orphaned; the vast majority of orphans are living with a surviving parent grandparent or other family members. 95 percent of all orphans are over the age of five. Orphans are relatively less in numbers in developed countries. But, in places that have been subjected to wars and great epidemics their numbers are considerably higher. As per UNICEF, the estimated number of total orphans increased from 1990-2001. However, since 2001, the estimated number of total orphans has declined consistently – at a rate of only 0.7% per year during this period. The children are often neglected, therefore World Day of War Orphans is observed every year to remember these children and reminds the responsibility to work hard to diminish the shadow of war so that no one would be an orphan within the motherland.
The day aims to spread awareness and address the crises faced by war orphans or children in conflict. Also children growing up in orphanages very often face emotional and social discrimination. The World Day of War Orphans was stared by the French body, SOS Enfants en Detresse. Displaced children are a big part of IDPs they (International Displaced Persons) who are forced to leave everything – including their homes, places of work and possessions. It is important that they don’t suffer and die of hunger and disease.
