New Delhi, May 31: As the world grapples with stress, poverty, hunger, climate change, and other existential threats, the greatest challenge is not just managing the present but also securing the future. The new generation forms the foundation of any society and nation. In a time when millions of children face violence, exploitation, neglect, inequality, and insecurity, ensuring their safety becomes paramount.
Celebrated annually on June 1, International Children’s Day inspires the world to ensure a bright future for all children, providing them with love, support, and equal opportunities. This day serves as a reminder that every child is filled with dreams and requires affection, safety, and equal chances to thrive. It motivates us to create an environment where children can progress without discrimination. Given the current global circumstances, fulfilling this responsibility is more crucial than ever.
Today, even in industrialized nations, children from both affluent and disadvantaged backgrounds, whether living in peace or in dangerous situations, are victims of discrimination, abuse, and exploitation.
A global report on children’s rights claims that every year, 500 million to 1.5 billion children fall victim to violence. Additionally, approximately 150 million girls and 70 million boys experience sexual exploitation annually. Most cases of exploitation occur within families, or children become victims of child labor.
The situation extends beyond these figures. Daily, millions of children worldwide face discrimination. They become innocent victims of derogatory insults or, worse, violence. In these extremely unsafe conditions, these children lack support and cannot defend themselves.
Rather than improving, the situation is deteriorating. According to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), over 295 million people in 53 countries and regions faced acute hunger in 2024. Meanwhile, a report from Save the Children states that 18.2 million children were born into hunger in 2024, marking a 19% increase from 2019.
Malnutrition and food insecurity significantly impact children’s development, learning, and survival. The report indicates that in 2024, 150.2 million children under five suffered from stunting, 42.8 million from wasting, and 35.5 million were overweight.
Global tensions also profoundly affect children. When schools are bombed or converted into military barracks, the education system appears helpless in the face of war. For millions of children living in conflict zones, the cost of violent clashes is not just the disruption of education but also the loss of their safety, stability, and future.
According to a UNICEF report from January 2026, over 234 million school-aged children worldwide have been affected by crises. Among them, 85 million children have been completely deprived of schooling or any form of education. UNICEF claims that by the end of 2026, an additional 6 million children may drop out of school.
In such circumstances, the protection of children at all times and in all places becomes essential.
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