Every day, hundreds of children are caught up in the middle of manmade conflicts and preventable health related emergencies ranging from wars, climate change, the drug epidemic, social ills, extreme violence, gun violence, aggression, and diseases: HIV/AID, cholera, dysentery, skin and respiratory infections, and hepatitis. To further add to the complication of child suffering, many innocent young children undergo sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, lack of a good education, access to clean water, and having food insecurities.

It’s just unfathomable to think about the war between Israel and Hamas, and the murders of small innocent children, killed because of what some people think they may become later in life — terrorist. What kind of humans would kill workers trying to feed children and sick adults who are suffering from hunger, malnutrition, and on the brink of starvation?  Can this really happen in a civilized society? Well… this is exactly what happened on April 1, 2024, when Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire on relief workers from the ‘World Central Kitchen (WCK)” — an internationally recognized humanitarian organization. They are the first humanitarian organization to the frontline of major disasters to provide fresh meals to those in need of a nutritious meal, many of which are children.

The “WCK” is a non-profit organization founded by the renowned Michelin-starred Chef José Andrés with the purpose of providing [free meals] to individuals in response to humanitarian crisis like the one ongoing because of the Israel – Hamas war. Unfortunately, Israel’s IDF, under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, thought it was more efficient to open fire on the humanitarian aid assistants, murdering  them and causing the death of many children. This attack was done even though the “WCK’ workers vehicles were prominently marked as humanitarian workers, as well as prior to their arrival, the World Central Kitchen shared their route in advance of the attack to prevent this type of mistake from occurring. It was not a mistake. It’s ethnic cleansing/genocide to get rid of any possible threats to Israel from a possible future enemy and an attack. The Prime Minister of Israel said so in so many words and actions. … 

The world is appalled by this attack on the World Central Kitchen. An attack that should not have happened.

In the recent attack of aid workers in Gaza, seven aid workers were killed trying to help children in need. Israel said it was a mishap and the IDF military team could not see in the dark. However, the president of the World Central Kitchen said the attacks was on purpose, “It shouldn’t have happened.” Stating that he is heartbroken… and some of the people that died was his friends. He is now calling for an independent investigation. Chef Andrés said that the workers were targeted systematically, car by car. He noted that they were only trying to reach children due to the many that have already died under circumstances when they should not have — hunger.  

It’s not the first time Israel killed aid workers. More than 200 [aid workers] have been killed to date for attempting to bring much-needed supplies to people injured in the Gaza Strip. Since October 7, 2023, more than 14,089 children have been murdered in Gaza alone, compared to 12,193 children killed in global conflict from 2019 to 2023, according to the Aljazeera. [Notwithstanding, the initial attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023 which killed dozens of children.]

Children are the most vulnerable during war time and they suffer the most. There are more than 400 million children who live in countries where there is armed combat. These children are abruptly uprooted from their homes and separated from their families, to seek shelter in uncommon places like refugee camps, or people’s personal homes.

Many children are orphaned or separated from their natural parents to never see them or their siblings again. Some children end up as child soldiers, which is a war crime that is prohibited under International Law.  Wars have a deleterious effect on children. And although subtle, it most often leads to all kinds of long-last psychological problems in children.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

You can help by adding your voice to a long list of concern citizens who have had enough of seeing and hearing about children killed or dying of starving. These children require responsible and committed advocates to speak on their behalf. We ask that you place pressure on your congressman and Senators in Washington, DC, and President Joseph Biden to pay more attention to this dire situation and to support giving more funding, security, meals and clean water to waring countries like: Haiti, Sudan, and the Congo,  to aid children who are in need of these vital lifesaving resources as well. 

The United States and the United Nations must standup for [Black nations] rights in the same way in which is done for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. (Although the US have given support to these Black nations, more support and vigor is necessary to bring the challenges to a stop.) The right to live in a safe and healthy environment, absent the waring factions, violence, food instability, drugs, disease, sexual abuse, as well as childhood exploitation. 

You can also reach out to nonprofit organizations like: World Central Kitchen (https://www.wck.org) | UNICEF (https:// (www.unicefusa.org) USA) | Save the Children (https://www.savethechildren.org) | Global Citizen (https://globalcitizen.org), and donate to help children all over the world. (These are only suggestions, and we ask you to do your research as to what nonprofit is more suitable for your particular needs and requirements as it relates to providing monetary or other offerings to nonprofit agencies to support children in need.

BUTO magazine will continue to watch and report on negative situations affecting the rights of children around the world. We ask that if you see child abuse, to immediately contact your locally authority and report the incident. You can call the national child abuse hotline at: (800) 422-4453. We urge you to please contact us with the information and any proof you may have in your possession on organized child abuse. Upon receiving the material, we will investigate and if the matter turns out to be correct, we will expose it to the world.

Nothing is more important than our children! … Their innocence, laughter, honesty, and humor…  give us life and a reason to live. Let’s help them to survives beyond the horrors of the world — completely absent the suffering, crying, dying, doubting, and hunger.