Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings: The Hardships Endured by Children

One of the believers' responsibilities is to alleviate the suffering of children. Many children live under bridges, rifle through garbage cans, and risk their lives for very little money. They have no homes and insufficient nourishment, and many of them die. The number of children who are subject to ill-treatment and violence, who are neglected, exploited, and sexually abused, continues to rise. Statistical calculations by relevant agencies show just how serious this problem is.

Poverty and Poor Health Conditions - There are 2.2 billion children in the world: 1 billion live under the poverty line. According to a UNICEF report, half of the world's children suffer from poverty, conflict, and AIDS. - An estimated 1.1 billion children do not grow up in a healthy home environment. There are 90 million street children. - Every year throughout the world, 40,000 children die. - Handicapped children cannot take advantage of education or their right to health. 85% of all children grow up with problems. - In 2003, 10.6 million children died. Most of these deaths could have been prevented. According to a 2005 UNICEF report, 29,158 die each day before their fifth birthday. - The child mortality rate is largely due to malnutrition. In developing countries, 174 million children aged 0-5 are malnourished and underweight. - Iron insufficiency in children under the age of 2 gradually makes it hard for them to communicate and causes mental retardation. - Only 71% of children have access to clean drinking water. Despite the fact that 2 million children a year (most of them under 5 years of age) die from illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water, the world remains unable to ensure clean water and good health conditions. - More than 20 million babies (one in five) are born underweight (under 2.5 kilos). This is the major reason why every year 4 million babies die before they are a month old. Being born underweight increases by 50% the risks of contracting diabetes, cancer, and heart disease in the future. - In the developing countries, 30 million babies do not reach their first birthday. More than 900,000 children under the age of 5 die from measles. Every year, more than 200,000 new-born babies die of tetanus. Every year, 370,000 die of whooping cough and 50,000 more die of tuberculosis. All of these illnesses can be prevented by vaccination. - Every year, 200,000 new-born babies die of preventable illnesses in their first month of life. - 5 million babies die due to insufficient health care during pregnancy and labor. - Every year, 2 million babies under the age of 5 die from a lack of professional care for respiratory track infections. - Every year, 400,000 babies die from pneumonia and meningitis. - Due to the discontinuation of campaigns to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic, every year 250,000 children and young people contract this fatal virus. - AIDS, which is particularly rampant in refugee camps, has killed 3.8 million children and created 15 million orphans. Headlines 1 "World turns its back on children"

"1 billion children in danger"

"It's always the children who suffer"

"4,000 Albanian children sold"

Child Labor and

Exploitation - In developing countries, 253 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 work, and between 50 and 60 million between the ages of 5 and 11 work in dangerous conditions. - In Thailand, children between the ages of 7 and 15 are forced to work in factories for 12-14 hours a day.

Some of them go blind as a result. - Every year about 2 million children are sexually exploited. These children endure forced labor from the age of 10 and eventually die at about 30.18 Today, 600 million children live below the poverty line. Everyone with a conscience is responsible for helping them overcome their difficult circumstances.

Children and War - In the last 10 years, 2 million children have died in war. Six million more have been seriously wounded or crippled. Millions of children have been forced to use violence. 16 million have suffered psychological trauma and 15 million have been left homeless. Approximately 25 million have been separated from their families. The number of child refugees stands at 5.43 million. (UN 2002) - Unable to read the warnings posted in war-torn areas, the number of children killed or crippled by stepping on mines increases every day. In 90 countries, children have to contend with 60 million land mines placed by warring armies and rebels. Every year 10,000 children are affected. (UN report 2002)

• Children continue to die due to the lack of food and health services after fighting. - In some areas, children become soldiers in order to survive: 300,000 children between the ages of 7 and 14 are actively engaged in war and armed conflicts. - More than 300,000 children throughout the world, most under the age of 10, have been abducted and forced into military service. Many girls in this situation have been subject to sexual assault. (UN report 2002)

War's adverse effects on children worsen every day. Tens of thousands of them have been killed by stepping on land mines.

Akşam, 07 September 2002 1 "Middle East violence hits children"

Özgür Gündem, 2 October 2002

The Problems of Refugees

War-induced poverty has forced many people from their lands. Although the whole world knows what these people suffered during the war, many countries do not accept refugees. These people walk for days and weeks in the cold in search of a secure place to live and are often forced to go from one country to another. Today, there are approximately 21 million refugees in the world. A few examples will be enough to explain their need for help.

Since March 1998, because of the war in Kosovo, many of the area's cities have been almost emptied. Due to harsh winter conditions, more than 300,000 Kosovans were driven from their homes and forced to walk for days, perished.

In November 1999, no country accepted those Chechens fleeing on foot from Russian attacks. Many women, children, and elderly people died before reaching the borders of Turkey, which did accept them. Of the world's 9 million Palestinians, 4 million live in Palestine and 5 million live beyond its borders, mostly in refugee camps. More than half of those who live inside Palestine have been displaced and forced to live in refugee camps. In other words, nearly 75% of the Palestinian people have been forced out of their homes by armed violence and continue to live under extremely harsh conditions in these camps.

As Palestinians were expelled from their homes, 531 villages were totally evacuated and 90% of them were completely destroyed by the occupying state. The Palestinians forced from their homes could not live in peace in the places they migrated to. The refugees who settled in the as-yet unoccupied West Bank and Gaza were subjected to frequent aggression and slaughter, after the June 1967 war, by air and land attacks. One of the worst incidents came about as the result of the attack against the refugee camp at Jenin, where approximately 1,000 people died. Besides this, many refugee camps in Gaza were viciously attacked with great loss of life.