World Crisis and our Children

  

Dear  Friends,

When the phrase humanitarian emergency is used, most people think of a conflict, famine or refugee crisis. But in the first half of 2017, natural disasters, including floods and cyclones, displaced 4.5 million people from their homes. That’s nearly as many as the 4.6 million displaced within their own countries by conflicts and violence.

Between January and June, disasters uprooted people in 76 countries. They disrupted education and left children traumatised and at risk of dropping out of school and into child labour, early marriage and exploitation.

This week, the horrific impact of weather events on lives and education has been seen across South Asia and in Sierra Leone.Thousands of schools in India, Bangladesh and Nepal have been destroyed, damaged or used as shelters by flooding that has affected 24 million people. Efforts are underway to get children back into school as quickly as possible.

In Sierra Leone, a mudslide killed nearly 500 and left hundreds more missing. A school for disadvantaged children in Freetown has taken a terrible toll - the building was destroyed and 50 students and two teachers are feared to be among the dead.

Amid the gloom, we continue to highlight the ordinary people doing extraordinary things. One of them is Indian schoolboy Naveen, who has gone from child labourer to schoolboy and prize-winning inventor. Read his remarkable story.

There are millions of other unsung heroes around the world - the parents and families raising children in difficult circumstances. This week - as part of our #5for5 campaign for early childhood development - we have been featuring the everyday lives of The Caregivers. They talk to us in our Voices channel about the challenges and rewards of raising young children.

 

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