Brisbane man joins UN efforts to save children from armed forces in South Sudan

Updated October 18, 2015 14:31:08

A Queensland man is helping to free child soldiers from the ravages of civil war in South Sudan, which he describes as one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world.

Anthony Nolan is a child protection specialist with UNICEF and earlier this year was involved in the release of 3,000 children from armed forces.

Boys as young as 11 have been recruited, handed guns and forced to witness or inflict violence in battles that have raged for years.

"One of the boys I met just this year had a bullet lodged in his neck that we then had to support him to have removed," Mr Nolan said.

"He's now back with his family.

"Some of these children have been in active fighting. They've carried guns, they've fought in the wars. Some of them have been used as cooks, as cleaners."

Mr Nolan has been working in South Sudan for 18 months.

During a recent return visit to Brisbane, he spoke to the ABC about his experiences.

"These children don't choose to go themselves. In fact most of the children I have met have all said that they don't want to fight in any wars, but their families are often sending them out because they're desperate," Mr Nolan said.

"These are very poor communities, so these children have very few other opportunities. They often don't have the chance to go to school.

"So children are often caught up in the conflicts where they are either sent to defend their community or to go and find resources to support their families."

But earlier this year, the South Sudanese government and opposition forces committed to releasing all child soldiers in their ranks.

Mr Nolan said UNICEF gave the children basics like blankets and clothing, then reunited them with their families.

"To reintegrate those children back into their communities takes many years. They need to learn new skills. They need to go back to school and they need some time to heal and mend the relationships," he said.

They also remain at risk from the chance that their villages come under further attack, meaning they could be forced to fight again.

"South Sudan doesn't often make the media coverage that it deserves," Mr Nolan said.

"It's still one the largest humanitarian crises in the world and there is huge challenges for us as a humanitarian community to keep those children safe, keep them nourished, supported, healthy, in school and safe from violence.

"That's still going to require many many years and huge resources."

Mr Nolan is committed to the cause and is returning to South Sudan to continue his work.

"Every child we have released from an armed group is one life we have quite possibly saved and that's incredibly rewarding."

Topics: army^[4], foreign-affairs^[5], child-abuse^[6], community-education^[7], world-politics^[8], child-health-and-behaviour^[9], mental-health^[10], unrest-conflict-and-war^[11], brisbane-4000^[12], south-sudan^[13]

First posted October 18, 2015 14:12:07

References

1. ^{^} Photo: A child soldier watches other children playing in Pibo County in South Sudan. (Supplied: UNICEF) (www.bing.com)
2. ^{^} Photo: Anthony Nolan said it was incredibly rewarding to rescue children from armed service. (ABC News: Jessica van Vonderen) (www.bing.com)
3. ^{^} Photo: Some of the many children who have been forced to become soldiers in South Sudan. (Supplied: UNICEF) (www.bing.com)
4. ^{^} army (www.bing.com)
5. ^{^} foreign-affairs (www.bing.com)
6. ^{^} child-abuse (www.bing.com)
7. ^{^} community-education (www.bing.com)
8. ^{^} world-politics (www.bing.com)
9. ^{^} child-health-and-behaviour (www.bing.com)
10. ^{^} mental-health (www.bing.com)
11. ^{^} unrest-conflict-and-war (www.bing.com)
12. ^{^} brisbane-4000 (www.bing.com)
13. ^{^} south-sudan (www.bing.com)