A family in Iraq standing outside their temporay home.
What we do

Supporting communities

We provide immediate support to families in emergency situations, as well as providing long-term solutions to help communities thrive again and remain resilient for the future.

In conflict-affected areas children and young people are the most vulnerable to hunger, trauma, and disruption.  

War can be particularly devastating for children and young people, who often find themselves separated from their families and without essentials like food, water or money. The psychological impact of conflict can be devastating for a child, and the lack of opportunities for growth and development often last a lifetime.  

When conflicts break out, we intervene quickly and work with young people, families and communities to provide immediate assistance and to protect children who are at increased risk of exploitation. This can include providing families with emergency cash relief, food, water and other basic necessities to address their immediate needs.

We provide long-term solutions to mitigate the impact of chronic conflict to help young people, families and communities remain resilient for the future. Whether it's helping schools set up peace gardens, equipping young people with the skills to find apprenticeships or employment, or supporting parents and caregivers to start their own business. 

Scale of the challenge

  • 60 %

    Of the world’s hungry live in conflict-affected zones.

  • 84 M

    People are currently forcibly displaced by conflict, violence and insecurity.

  • 27 M

    People are acutely food insecure in the Democratic Republic of Congo - the highest number worldwide.

What we do 

Supporting young people and caregivers to secure paid employment 

War turns people's lives upside down. Local economies can collapse virtually overnight, and the stability people rely on in terms of markets, trade routes and jobs can disappear or become severely disrupted, making it harder for people to meet even their most basic needs. We provide young people and caregivers with technical, business and life skills, as well as small grants and saving schemes to support them in finding apprenticeships, a job, or start their own business to build a better future.

 

Setting up peace gardens 

War Child works in lots of rural settings affected by conflict, and we know that gardening offer a range of benefits to children, families and communities. Peace gardens provide nutritious food, support a child’s wellbeing and help children to learn agricultural skills for the future. War Child has created school peace gardens and green safe spaces that help children gain confidence and learn new skills with their peers. 

The harvest generated by the school garden has allowed us to cover the cost of the exams for the most vulnerable children in the school ensuring that even these children could successfully graduate.
Director of a primary school supported to set up a peace garden, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Providing cash relief 

War can leave families in urgent need of food, water, hygiene items, shelter and medical care. In emergency situations, we provide families with cash relief to support their basic needs and prevent families from having to make desperate, agonising choices just to survive, like marrying off young girls in the family, or keeping children out of school to do dangerous work to earn a living. In the short-term, providing the poorest and most vulnerable families with the money they need to access vital essentials such as food, water and warmth can save lives. Giving families cash, rather than items, means they can make quick decisions on what to buy based on their own needs and priorities, enabling them to regain control and independence over their lives.

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Child drawing on a chalk board in DRC.

Educating children

When children’s lives are turned upside down by conflict, we know that safe spaces to continue learning are critical for a child's wellbeing and future opportunities to earn a living.

War Child staff and child.

Protecting children

We work with children, families, communities, and governments in conflict zones to protect children from danger.

UN Security Council.

Campaigning

We work to ensure that challenges faced by children are widely understood and addressed by those in power. We boldly campaign to influence global leaders and empower young people to raise issues and campaign for change themselves.