Child Soldiers

This site is dedicated to gathering information on the issue of child soldiers, including developments in the conflicts in which combats under the age of 18 are being used and what efforts are being made to combat the use of child... [more]

This site is dedicated to gathering information on the issue of child soldiers, including developments in the conflicts in which combats under the age of 18 are being used and what efforts are being made to combat the use of child soldiers and assist children who are affected by conflicts in which child soldiers are used.

According to Amnesty International: “Approximately 250,000 children under the age of 18 are thought to be fighting in conflicts around the world, and hundreds of thousands more are members of armed forces who could be sent into combat at any time. Although most child soldiers are between 15 and 18 years old, significant recruitment starts at the age of 10 and the use of even younger children has been recorded”. These children may work as porters, cooks, soldiers, and sex slaves, and are often forced to commit atrocities. This abuse of children is carried out both by governments and opposition groups. Currently child soldiers are being used in a number of conflicts including the conflicts in Uganda and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.