AAP policy statement says no child should suffer harm because of their ethnicity, religion, culture, or their family’s beliefs and values.
ITASCA, IL – With 1 in 5 children across the globe living within armed conflict zones, the American Academy of Pediatrics has released a policy statement, “The Effects of Armed Conflict on Children and Adolescents,” that outlines the steps pediatricians can take to minimize the damage brought to the over 520 million youth experiencing the dangers and instability of armed conflict.
"Children residing in conflict zones face innumerable, severe risks such as physical injury, sexual violence, family separation, food insecurity, and loss of access to education and health care,” said Lisa Umphrey, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy statement written by the AAP Section on Global Health. “No child should suffer harm because of ethnicity, religion, culture, or family beliefs. Using harm to children as a tactic in war or conflict is unacceptable.”
The policy statement will be published online Feb. 17 and in the March 2026 print issue of Pediatrics. The policy discusses the crucial role pediatricians and other health care providers play in providing support to children impacted by global armed conflict, both in terms of providing adequate health care and advocating for policies that protect children. It also provides recommendations for policy changes at the state, federal, and global levels.
Policy statements created by AAP are written by medical experts, reflect the latest evidence in the field, and go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics.
Beyond children who live directly in armed conflict zones and experience the brunt of the impacts, millions more experience displacement--often from the only homes they’ve ever known. Long-term displacement may disrupt essential services such as health care, education, and social supports, and can negatively impact children’s health and development. Health care workers and systems can be targeted as part of armed conflict situations as well, further negatively impacting the ability to provide essential care that children in conflict zones need. Protections for health care workers and medical care infrastructures are crucial to ensure children receive adequate care.
“Every child must be safeguarded from the direct impacts of conflict, and their basic needs such as food, shelter, and health care must be guaranteed,” said policy author Anik Patel, MD, FAAP. “This policy represents an important step forward in protecting the rights of children in conflict situations by providing pediatricians with actionable plans to mitigate the harm caused by global conflict.”
The policy statement outlines the ways pediatricians can protect children’s rights. Pediatricians can advocate for policy reforms at state, federal, and global levels; ensure culturally appropriate, sensitive, and trauma-informed care and community support; and engage in research to mitigate short- and long-term harm while promoting resilience.
Strategic interventions can include ensuring access to health care and mental health services, safeguarding education, and providing bereavement and psychosocial support during and after resettlement. Other steps pediatricians and health care professionals can take include:
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.