In the Spotlight

Invisible Wounds of War October 2019

The 24 million children living in conflict areas are facing a mental health crisis, yet only a minuscule share of development funding is allocated for programming to support their recovery. The fear, anxiety, and trauma of conflict has a severe effect on the psychological well-being of children. Prolonged exposure, especially when left untreated, can affect the child's brain development, behavior, and overall well-being. Urgent commitment from the international community is needed to remedy these effects. Continuing our centenary campaign to #STOPTHEWARONCHILDREN, this month's spotlight highlights the invisible wounds of war.

In the spotlight

Childhood in Conflict June 2019

In May, we launched our global campaign to #STOPTHEWARONCHILDREN. The campaign calls for protection of the 420 million children who are exposed to the dangers of armed conflict on a daily basis. It sets out 3 measures to be taken by states to improve the situation of children in conflict zones, amongst them: to take practical action to protect children in conflict and enable their recovery. This month's feature takes a deep-dive into the primary cause of immediate child deaths in conflict zones, explosive weapons. We have taken the first step to ensure that children who have suffered blast injuries are able to get the help they need to recover, but more action is needed.

Stop the War on Children February 2019

Nearly one-fifth of children worldwide lived in a conflict zone in 2017. Every day 420 million children faced the threat of killings, recruitment by armed forces, abduction, sexual violence, or denial of humanitarian aid. New research conducted by the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, commissioned by Save the Children, reveals this horrifying reality faced by far too many children. In our 100th year, we renew our promise to protect all children, and call for our world leaders to STOP THE WAR ON CHILDREN.

First, a Child December 2018

Approximately 35 million children worldwide live in forced displacement, amongst a total of 68.5 million forced migrants globally. This reflects an all-time high since the end of the Second World War. In response, Save the Children launched the Migration and Displacement Initiative (MDI) in 2016, to serve as a reminder that children are primarily children, with specific rights, irrespective of their migration status. Since its founding, the initiative has produced pioneering research, advocacy, and programming efforts to forward this agenda. Learn more about their work in this December issue of In the Spotlight.

Life-Saving Education for Children in Emergencies September 2018

As part of its launch, the Resource Centre highlights the Improving Learning Environments Together (ILET) training package for the month of September. The project, and subsequent package, was developed by Save the Children Norway to be used as a tool to involve communities in improving learning environments in emergencies. The approach encourages transparency, enforces accountability and ownership, and inspires the creation of local solutions.

Healthy Children Learn More May 2018

For the month of May, we spotlight our collaboration with Save the Children’s School Health and Nutrition Program (SHN). Through this partnership, the program’s most essential materials have been gathered and made accessible through the Resource Centre—ranging from programming manuals to child-friendly educational materials. The School Health and Nutrition resources come in a variety of languages, representing the diversity of the achievements of the School Health and Nutrition programs worldwide.

A Children's Emergency February 2018

In this February Spotlight, we highlight Childhood Interrupted: Children's voices from the Rohingya Refugee Crisis, a child consultation report produced by Save the Children, World Vision, and Plan International. It is featured alongside other pertinent publications containing the most recent updates on the situation in Cox Bazar and what Save the Children has done, and is currently doing, to help Rohingya children in need.

Young Voices Want to be Heard

“No one has ever asked what we think,” one child answered in the first survey of Young Voices, a project that was developed by Save the Children Sweden and has now been exported to several other countries, including Mongolia, Kosovo and Lithuania. Through innovative communication and advocacy activities, the project aims to make sure that duty-bearers hear the voices of young people and children.

Local to Global programming: improving communities and children’s lives

In Save the Children Sweden’s Local to Global programme, experiences from working with children at the community level are used in advocacy. Children and community members are empowered to claim their rights in matters that concern them and to hold duty-bearers accountable. The programme is successfully contributing to concrete improvements in children’s lives in several countries, including Zambia.

Children Rescued at Sea

In September 2016, Save the Children launched the Mediterranean rescue operation Rescue at Sea. During its three months of operation, Save the Children’s search and rescue team, aboard the organisation’s rescue ship Vos Hestia, rescued over 2,700 lives, including over 400 children.