Children in Crisis

Living in fear of abduction by a rebel army.
Forced to walk miles each night in search of safety.
Thrust into the roles of parent, teacher and caregiver in neglected displacement camps.

These are some of the realities that hundreds of thousands of children in northern Uganda have faced during 22 years of fighting between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government. Yet it is upon the shoulders of these same children that the hopes for rebuilding northern Uganda's future rests, making it essential that the LRA, Ugandan government and international community prioritize efforts to protect children, disarm and rehabilitate child soldiers and expand access to quality healthcare, education and livelihoods.

Child Soldiers: As many as 66,000 children have been abducted by the LRA and forced to become soldiers, sex slaves and laborers. Abducted children are forced to endure brutal initiations, including forced killing of family members and fellow abductees. LRA commanders use these tactics to sever the children's ties with their home communities and ensure their loyalty to the rebel group. However, the sheer brutality of the LRA's actions often masks the failure of the Ugandan government and international community to fulfill their responsibility to protect children in the north. The Ugandan military also has a record of recruiting child soldiers, including rescued LRA abductees. Even after they escape, the tens of thousands of former child soldiers in northern Uganda must overcome psychological trauma, catch up on education and reintegrate into society - all of this in communities disrupted by decades of war and displacement. Click here to read more about child soldiers in northern Uganda.

Night Commuters: Until as recently as 2006, fear of being abducted by the LRA drove tens of thousands of children to become 'night commuters." Walking as many as 12 miles a day, these children left their rural homes and families every evening to sleep in safer town centers once darkness fell. However, the facilities designed to shelter the commuters were often overwhelmed, and children were forced to sleep unsupervised in streets and courtyards. The ongoing Juba peace talks have improved security in northern Uganda and the level of night commuters has subsequently dropped – providing hope that a more comprehensive peace can fully rejuvenate the futures of children in the north. Click here to read more about night commuters.

Building Uganda's Future: The displacement disaster in the north has forced children to face more than chronic insecurity and the fear of forced soldiering. Food shortages, an embattled healthcare infrastructure and a wrecked educational system are daily realities for the children who make up over half of the north's displaced population. Comprehensive efforts to expand access to quality education, healthcare and livelihoods are urgently needed if the children of northern Uganda are to overcome the legacy of decades of war. Click here to read more about the current and post-conflict challenges facing children in northern Uganda.