Children of Wars.The differences.

Afghanistan Feb 2008

Dangerous and menial work,the daily life of an Afghan street child.

Sources now reveal the problem of street children in Kabul has escalted to over 50,000.The UNCHR has introduced health care for the children but resources are now overstretched due to overcrowding.Winter's in Kabul see temperature's reaching -20 degree's making life here extremly hard.Most children are orphans and are un-educated.They are simply left to fend for themselves as families somethimes simply can not afford support them.The Afghan government seems to still be caught up in the military quagmires of Nuristan provence and Kandahar.For the time being the street children of Kabul seem to be put of the Afghan governments backburner !!

Gaza Jun 2008

The main problems children face in Gaza aside from conflict, food and water shortages is entertainment.There is little or nothing to keep the children occupied.Destroyed buildings often turn into playgrounds with children playing amongst a mesh of rocks and razor wire.

The NGCC (North Gaza Cultural Center) runs daily swimming contest's in small handmade pools,but funding for there organization and others is non existent.The IDF (Isreali Defence Force) controls and restricts aid into Gaza.The closing of the Rafah (Egypt) border crossing into Gaza on Fri 6th Jun 2008 will impact local traders hard.Food shortages in Gaza have lead to huge price increases in everything from tinned goods to sugar.

Hebron (Westbank) Jun 2008

The CPT in Hebron are doing excellent work with Palestinian children.The problems the local children in Hebron are facing is intimidation and harresment from IDF soilders and local settlers.The settlers live on top of the Palestinians and Palestinian school children are escorted to and from school by the CPT to stop harrsement from both sides on children as young as four years old.  http://www.cpt.org

The local traders in Hebron have installed chicken wire across the roof of the market.The reason they have used this method is to trap the garbage and stones being thrown down by the settlers who live above.The say ''We are simply protecting ourselves and our children who play here in the market''.

Phil Behan Jun 13th 2008