Children in Conflict

That the Parliament notes international research indicating that more than 500 million children worldwide, around one in five, are currently living in areas affected by armed conflict; considers that exposure to war, displacement, injury, bereavement and prolonged insecurity places children at significantly increased risk of long-term mental and physical health harms, including trauma that can affect learning, behaviour and life chances well into adulthood; expresses grave concern at the reported scale of suffering experienced by children in conflict regions, including those who have been killed, injured, orphaned, forcibly displaced or denied access to education and healthcare; acknowledges evidence that safe environments, stable family support, access to schooling and predictable routines are critical to helping children recover from trauma; reaffirms Scotland’s commitment to peace, international humanitarian law and the protection of children’s rights; calls on the international community to intensify efforts towards ceasefires, conflict resolution and sustained humanitarian assistance that prioritise the wellbeing and futures of children, and hopes that the year 2026 will be characterised by peace rather than war, compassion rather than violence, and a renewed global determination to protect children from the devastating consequences of armed conflict.