According to UNICEF, an estimated 153 million children around the world are orphaned, with the majority of them affected by war, and there are currently 250 million children living in countries impacted by conflict.

This exposes these children to not only a life of hardship but also significant mental and emotional impacts. That’s why we encourage everyone to observe World Day for War Orphans on January 6th each year.

This is a day to raise awareness about war orphans and to help mobilize support for their care and their futures. Although we can’t eliminate the specter of war from these young minds, we can work together to help them find more peaceful lives.

The History of World Day for War Orphans

This day was created by the French organization SOS Enfants en Detresses. They founded it to give communities across the world a chance to address the plight of war orphans. The day quickly spread to other parts of the world and is now observed by people in almost every country.

This holiday has continued to raise the public’s awareness about war orphans and has mobilized communities in support of this cause. It’s a holiday during which everyone has a chance to help contribute some normalcy to a war orphan’s life.

Facts About War Orphans

Below are some facts that we’ve uncovered while researching World Day for War Orphans. We believe that the following points highlight the plight of war orphans and the challenges they face. With that being said, let’s take a quick look at them before moving on to how this holiday is observed.

• In 2015, there were 140 million orphans in the world.
• In the world’s poorest countries, over 20% of children under the age of 5 are engaged in child labor.
• Studies show that approximately 1 out of 6 children are affected by armed conflict.

Observing World Day for War Orphans

On this day, people can visit an orphanage, donate to an organization that helps with “Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),” or attend an event that helps promote this cause. It’s also a day for people to do research on this subject so they can help come up with their own solutions. We also encourage people to spread the news about this holiday using the hashtag #WorldDayForWarOrphans on social media.