International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

Today is the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. It’s a United Nations observance held on June 4 every year, established on August 19, 1982.1

According to the United Nations website, it was originally focused on victims of the 1982 Lebanon War. Its purpose has since expanded to “acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental, and emotional abuse.” This day affirms the UN’s commitment to protecting the rights of children. 2

Here is some alarming data from the UN based on a 2022 report. These numbers have likely increased exponentially due to the civil unrest in Haiti, the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and other acts of violence that go unnoticed in some homes.

The UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict highlights that in 2022 alone:

  • Over 8,630 children were killed or maimed
  • 7,622 children were recruited or used
  • 3,985 children were abducted
  • 1,166 children were victims of sexual violence
  • 3,931 incidents of denial of humanitarian access
  • 1,846 incidents in schools and hospitals

These are heart-wrenching numbers, and I know that many more go unreported.

The website has a section with poems for peace. They are all powerful and beautiful, but I selected this one from Haiti.

Children are the future, and we need to do everything we can to protect them.

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Innocent_Children_Victims_of_Aggression ↩︎
  2. https://www.un.org/en/observances/child-victim-day/background ↩︎

26 thoughts on “International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression”

  2. There is so much hurt and pain in our world today. The hurt and pain against children is most piercing to the soul because unhealed they grow up to become adults with hurt and pain. This perpetuates the cycle. Prayer is always necessary. If you are blessed, pray for others. Thank you for sharing, Ed.

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    1. Thank you, and you are so right about “unhealed they grow up to become adults with hurt and pain.” As you said, this continues the generational cycle of violence.

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  3. It is so sad that we have to see these situations and numbers about children… children that should be cared for and protected above all! And granted the opportunity to grow healthy (at all levels), feeling safe and loved. We can do so much better…!! I believe a time will come when humanity will be truly humane and kind to all. Thank you, Edward, for being a voice for the voiceless and often forgotten ones. Blessings and light to you 🙏 💫

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  8. To hear a child wish to “hear no more guns shoot” crushes the soul, doesn’t it. I appreciate you bringing this day and the heartbreaking statistics to our attention. I clicked on the UN link you provided to learn more. Hopefully it is more than just a day of acknowledgment.

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  10. Oh my goodness, such a critical need in this cruel world, and yet I didn’t even know about this special Day of recognition. Thank you for bringing it to your readers’ attention, Edward. Innocent child victims of aggression are growing in numbers, not diminishing. What a sad, sad reality.

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      1. Because mankind (it’s called MANkind for a reason) likes to start wars to take other people’s land, put an end to other people’s religion, or just to show how powerful they are. It never, ever stops. And then all us “rich” countries decide to keep out migrants, who often are fleeing terrible situations with their kids. We seem to get better materially (for now(, but not morally or ethically. 😥

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