Human Rights & Public Liberties

Human Rights & Public Liberties

Newsletter
Published on: 13 Jan, 2021

Sierra Leone is treating child soldiers

Published on: 18 August, 2021
Child soldiers/Reuters.

Child soldiers/Reuters.

In spite of an international determination to end the practice of recruiting child soldiers, girls and boys are still forced into combat as fighters and in other roles.

A project led by a former child soldier during Sierra Leone’s civil war is helping to save the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses.

The project raises money to send kids abroad for treatment.

Dozens from poor families have been treated and are leading healthy lives.

According to Thomson Reuters Foundation fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic could lead to more children being recruited by armed factions, the United Nations warned as the world marked the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers – also known as Red Hand Day https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-childsoldiers-factbox-trfn-idUSKBN2AC0CB

The forced enlistment of children for use in armed conflict is considered one of the nastiest forms of child labour, together with abuses such as trafficking for sexual exploitation, according to the U.N. International Labour Organization (ILO).

Aljazeera/Reuters.