As the military continues its targeted airstrikes on towns and villages in Arakan State, many children have lost their lives and some are suffering increased psychological and physical effects.
Amid the ongoing armed conflict in Arakan State, the number of underage children killed or injured by the military’s bombardment has risen. This month alone, four children died and nine were injured.
On 10 October, when the military bombed the town of Kyauktaw with fighter jets, four locals, including one child, were killed and 24 injured.
A mother from Kyauktaw said, “Even at night, my child wakes up scared and says, ‘The plane is coming, the plane is coming’ When he hears loud sounds, the child gets scared and does not leave my side. On the day Kyauktaw was bombed, the child was so scared that he could not even speak”
Between 1 and 10 October, 31 locals were killed and 53 injured by airstrikes in Arakan.
According to the data collected, 13 of them were children.
Among the deceased children are three from Taungup and one from Kyauktaw. Among the injured are two from Taungup, five from Kyauktaw and two from Maungdaw.
A woman from Sittwe township said: “If possible, I don’t want my children to be in danger. I want all the children to be safe. I am not afraid of dying myself. I am only worried about my children.”
According to the Child Rights Law, every child has the right to education and healthcare. It is forbidden to inflict any form of physical or mental violence on children. However, in conflict-torn Myanmar, children are losing their legal rights.
In addition to the deaths and injuries caused by airstrikes, the psychological trauma suffered by children is also a cause for concern. Child care workers say there is a need to address the psychological trauma suffered by children.
“To treat children’s psychological trauma, we must first acknowledge their feelings. We need to listen to their concerns without criticizing or blaming them,” said an employee of an organization that deals with children’s mental health.
“The most important thing is not to tell them that they are the only ones experiencing this. Because their experiences are not commonplace,” the official continued.
Children in conflict zones are not only psychologically affected by the sounds of airplane bombs, artillery and gunfire, but they are also displaced refugees with their familiesa.
As a result, they are deprived of adequate food and their right to education.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)
