Editorial: War wounds/Shield the most vulnerable

08/30/2005

Star Tribune
August 30, 2005

“War is hell,” said Civil War Gen. William T. Sherman, and he didn’t know the half of it. In his century, just 5 percent of those killed and wounded in war were civilians. These days, the figure is nearly 90 percent—and most of these victims are women and children. They endure gross indignities, sometimes in their home villages or cities and too often even in the refugee camps set up to help them. Not enough is done to prevent—or even to alleviate—their suffering.

In just the past decade more than 2 million children have been killed—and 6 million injured—during wartime. Another million have been orphaned; millions more have lost their homes. When conflict strikes poor countries, children’s likelihood of dying from malnutrition and disease—already quite high—can increase by up to 24 times.

Deprivation and loss have become mainstays of latter-day warfare, but they aren’t its only companions. As armies march through villages these days, they typically “recruit” young boys into combat and conscript girls to work as cooks, messengers and sexual slaves.

Even the women and girls left behind often suffer: Rape of women and girls is now a commonplace war tactic—deliberately used to destroy entire communities. This upsurge in sexual violence takes a profound psychological toll, and wreaks havoc on health as well. The combination of rape and scarcity of medical resources spurs a spike in unwanted pregnancy and the spread of HIV/AIDS—turning a moment’s horror into enduring disaster.

Relief agencies have long since recognized that civilians especially need their help. But despite a heightened focus on humanitarian aid to the innocent, little has been done to ease the distinct distress of women and children. Correcting this is the aim of a bill sponsored by Reps. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.

First conceived by the international nonprofit Save the Children, the measure is meant to guarantee that the safety of women and children is considered whenever war—or natural disaster—occurs. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Richard Lugar, R-Ind.

How can that promise be kept? A quick look at the Women and Children in Crisis and Conflict Protection Act makes it clear: The first steps involve obliging U.S.-funded humanitarian groups to integrate protection of women and children into their work—and mobilizing the U.S. government to train and monitor the aid groups.

Just as crucial is heightening security for women and children within refugee camps to avert abuse there—and assuring that women’s health care is readily available in all such camps. As Biden said, “Too many of these refugees are being twice victimized: once by the disaster that forces them to flee their home and then again by unscrupulous people at refugee camps where rather than being protected, they are often brutalized.”

Ultimately, protecting the vulnerable means launching efforts beyond refugee camps to help reunite separated families, care for orphans and underwrite local law enforcers’ ability to protect them from the worst legacies of war and natural disaster.

This legislation will help on several fronts; it should be enacted this fall.