Every year on the 6th of January, World Day of War Orphans is commemorated to raise awareness of the plight of war orphans and to address the traumatic and distressing conditions they face. And every year, awareness programs take place to give people a better understanding of the plight orphaned children are forced to face.
What does an orphan mean?
According to UNICEF, an orphan is a child under the age of 18 who has lost one or both parents to any cause of death. War orphans are those children who have lost both parents or, less commonly, one parent through civilian deaths in the war.
According to UNICEF, an estimated 153 million children worldwide are orphans. According to UNICEF data from 2015, there were approximately 140 million orphans worldwide, with 61 million in Asia, 52 million in Africa, 10 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 7.3 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Historical Background
SOS Enfants en Dresses, a French organisation, started the World Day of War Orphans. This day highlights the lives of children who have been impacted by the war's outcomes and aims to improve their prospects.
According to UNICEF data, around half of the victims in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century wars were civilians, and this number gradually increased until 2001. Since that year, the number has decreased at a 0.7 percent annual rate.
The theme for world day of war orphans 2022
World War Orphans Day 2022 urges the globe that, especially in the face of the pandemic, caring for children in horrific situations is a responsibility.