It is estimated that 250,000 children, some age 10 or younger, are currently recruited into armed conflicts around the world and used as soldiers, guards, messengers, or sex slaves. Such recruitment of children occurs most often in conflict zones such as Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Sri Lanka. The use of child soldiers has been officially prohibited by a UN treaty ratified by 126 countries since 2002. Children in conflict areas are guaranteed special protection under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention.

It is no surprise that rehabilitating child soldiers is a difficult and lengthy process. Because of the severe trauma they suffer, children who have been in combat require extensive long-term support to be re-integrated into communities, says UNICEF spokesman James Elder. He explains that child combatants “live in a theatre of violence and suffering…Instead of hope, fear defines their childhood.”

Additionally, the crimes of child soldiers, or of the larger group they belong to, can make community re-integration even more difficult. Their role as combatants entails committing violent crimes, and children sometimes join armies out of a desire for revenge. For example, child soldiers in the LRA “were both brutally abused and abusive, killing attempted escapees, captured soldiers, and civilians”. Because of this, child soldiers are often treated no differently by government forces than adult soldiers. When children are released into society, they can face acts of discrimination or revenge from communities that have been affected by violence. Nations must address the concerns of both child soldiers and their victims in attempts at rehabilitation. Some experts even argue that not prosecuting child soldiers can lead to further human rights violations, as commanders may order children to commit the worst crimes because of their immunity.

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is one new approach to rehabilitation that recently began in Sierra Leone for the Orphan Boys of Koindu, a group of former child soldiers. A psychosocial counseling team integrated healing and purification rites traditionally done in the area with Western psychological techniques to “foster both acceptance and accountability”.

Education and vocational training are also critical elements of rehabilitation, say many experts. Education provides a means for children to make a living and avoid returning to combat, and enhances community. One former child soldier in Sierra Leone explained: “The community becomes happy when they see us engage in productive activities such as schooling, trading, mining, or farming. However, if you are stubborn and unsettled, they get worried.”

More links:

Child Soldiers Photo Exhibit

UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict (transcript and video of Grace Akallo’s speech)

Child soldiers fighting in the DRC (video)

Human Rights Watch: Fighting for their Lives

The Red Hand Campaign

Pawn of Politics

Secretary-General calls for “bold action” to end human trafficking

UN: Children and Armed Conflict

FXB Center Research Program on Children and Global Adversity

Article 7 (1) (k) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court describes crimes against humanity to include “other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.” Zimbabwe is not a signatory of the Rome Treaty.  However PHR asserts that crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Treaty, are within the bounds of customary international law. Because Zimbabwe has disregarded the epidemic and openly blocked international aid resulting in the deaths of thousands, PHR believes this constitutes a crime against humanity.

The situation in Zimbabwe dire. During August of 2008, the country saw the beginning of a cholera outbreak that the World Health Organization has categorized as “explosive.” Cholera is easily treated with fluids administered orally or intravenously while the infection runs its course. Without this simple intervention, cholera leaves its victims with severe dehydration that can lead to death. An update published by the World Health Organization on February 20, 2009 listed nearly 80,000 cases and almost 4,000 as recorded by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MoHCW). The WHO did provide some encouraging data as it estimated the epidemic peaked in November of 2008.

As PHR detailed, the epidemic spread with unusual vigor because of inadequate or non-functioning sewer and sanitation systems. In December of 2008, the New York Times described a scene of children playing in “streets that flow[ed] with raw sewage.” Further exacerbating the epidemic has been the near complete collapse of the public health system, caused in part by the rapidly declining economic situation.  The Zimbabwe dollar is now worthless due to hyperinflation. In January of 2009, the country released a 100 trillion Zimbabwe dollar note that at the time was worth a mere 37 US dollars. Health care workers stopped showing up for work in the fall of 2008 as the monthly salary ceased to cover the cost of transportation to work for a single day. Hospitals lacking essential staff shut their doors.  Patients that need treatment either cannot get treatment or must pay hundreds of US dollars in fees for private healthcare.

Despite the recent decline in deaths, there remain significant challenges in protecting the right to health of all citizens of Zimbabwe. There are significant barriers to access to health care including the high cost of private health services and a public health system that has completely collapsed. The nation will continue to be in danger of a resurgence of an outbreak as long as the sanitation and sewer systems remain in ill repair. The high prevalence of HIV and widespread malnutrition makes the population particularly susceptible to infections such as cholera.

Finally, this epidemic has the potential to lead to serious problems, not only for the people of Zimbabwe, but for the entire region. Already neighboring countries have reported an increase in the number of reported cases of cholera as people flee from Zimbabwe to escape political turmoil and seek medical care. Clearly, a drastic intervention is needed to protect the right to health of so many.

Additional Resources:

NYTimes Video: Confronting Rape on Zimbabwe’s Border

NYTimes Op-Ed: Zimbabwe is Dying

UNICEF: Widespread Collapse of Social Services Creates “Twin Disaster” in Zimbabwe

UNICEF: The Tragedy of Zimbabwe’s Cholera Outbreak

The Zimbabwean: Who Controls the Water Determines the Severity of the Cholera