I WILL HELP
CHILDREN
AT RISK
Trauma darkens childhood. Together with families, we can help.
“There should be psychological support everywhere, and in every shelter.” Amal, Mental Health Specialist.
As the devastating conflict in Sudan enters its fourth year, more than five million children have been forced from their homes – the equivalent of 5,000 children displaced every day. Families are doing all they can to keep children safe – but those children are leaving behind the homes, schools and friends they love.
Many – like Walaa – are fleeing again and again. Each time, the trauma deepens. Without support, experiences like these can cast a long shadow. Trauma can affect children’s ability to learn, trust and feel safe. It can lead to struggles in school, low self-esteem and substance abuse.
At the child-friendly space near Kassala, Sudan, Amal sees how thoughtful, one-on-one support gradually helps children cope and move forward – even after they have witnessed terrible violence.
“I provide psychological support, sessions and guidance, and referrals to the nearby UNICEF clinic for those that need treatment,” she explains. Amal often works with more than 20 children and families in a day. Many arrive struggling to cope with the pain and fear that war creates. But the child-friendly space becomes a place of safety – a place to take the first steps towards healing.
Last year, UNICEF and our local partners provided psychosocial support, protection and education for 3.5 million children in Sudan.
Children trapped in conflict face:
- Displacement: Being forced from their homes.
- Grief: Losing family members, friends and loved ones.
- Exhaustion: Travelling long distances to find safety.
- Fear: The constant threat of witnessing and experiencing violence.
- Exploitation: Being recruited into armed groups, such as human trafficking and sexual abuse.
The effects of childhood trauma can last a lifetime. So mental health support is an essential part of our work with communities worldwide to make childhood unstoppable.
Please give today. Together with families and communities, we can stop trauma darkening childhood.
Your donation will support UNICEF’s vital work to protect children around the world, wherever a child’s right to a happy, safe and healthy childhood is threatened. Thank you.