South Sudan: Children separated from parents by war
By Unicef's Deputy Executive Director, Lily Caprani
At the beginning of this year, an armed group attacked a village outside of a small town in South Sudan: Yambio.
Hundreds of people were killed, thousands are now displaced. Children have witnessed others being killed in front of them, sometimes their very own parents.
In the chaos and fear of fleeing for their lives, many of these vulnerable children have become separated from their parents and families. These children arrived in Yambio - alone, scared and severely distressed.
Now living in an old school, more than forty children have no idea where their parents are.
One child said he only sees his mother in his dreams and doesn’t know when he will see her again.
And this is all too common in South Sudan – since the start of the conflict in 2013, more than 14,000 children have been separated from their parents.
UNICEF runs a Family Tracing and Reunification programme that helps find parents or extended family members with whom a child can be reunited. Some children will be fortunate enough to see their mothers and father again, however many won’t.
Nearly 5,000 children have already been reunited with their parents and families since 2015, but South Sudan is still one of the most difficult places to be a child.
More than three million children are currently affected by the ongoing conflict in the newest country in the world.
A combination of war and climate change has also pushed South Sudan to the brink of famine – hundreds of thousands of children are severely malnourished and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
Forced recruitment into armed groups is a horrifying, yet regular occurrence.
We must not ignore what’s happening in towns like Yambio, and across South Sudan. Our continued support is needed.
For more information and to donate visit UNICEF.