Stockton North MP, Alex Cunningham, has shown his support for War Child UK, the charity for children affected by conflict, by attending an event outlining the action needed to support the mental health and wellbeing of children affected by war.
The event, which will launch War Child UK’s latest report, Reclaiming Dreams – prioritising the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children in conflict, will highlight the scale of support needed to help children recover from the mental and emotional impact of their experiences of war and conflict. The event is hosted by Stephen Twigg MP, Chair of the International Development Committee with speeches from Ann Clwyd MP and young people from War Child’s youth engagement panel with first-hand experience of living in warzones, to highlight a drastically underfunded issue for communities torn apart by war.
Alex said:
I am delighted to support War Child and raise awareness for the crucial need for better mental health and wellbeing support to children affected by conflict, and I would encourage the government to follow the recommendations made by War Child so that we can improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
In 2017, 250 million children around the world were affected by conflict, many children have been exposed to war and its effects. War Child’s report finds that daily stressors – domestic violence, poverty, insecurity, lack of food, water, and heating, child labour, lack of access to education for children, stigma and exclusion – within children’s family have been found to have as much, and in some instances more, of an impact on children’s mental health as exposure to conflict itself. Children’s support networks are key to strengthening children’s own mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. War Child is calling for 1% of global humanitarian funding to be ring-fenced for MHPSS.
