ECPC Issues Urgent Appeal “Stop the War on Children NOW!”
Global experts warn that unprecedented violence against children in conflict zones threatens generational trauma and global stability
By N. Shemrah Fallon, ECPC News
For Immediate Release
June 16, 2025 — The Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC), a global alliance of UN agencies, NGOs, academics, and practitioners, today issued an urgent appeal calling for immediate action to end the escalating violence against children in conflict zones worldwide.
►Read the downloadable ECPC urgent appeal “Stop the War on Children NOW!”
Crisis Reaches Historic Proportions
According to UNICEF’s recent assessment, 2024 has been declared “one of the worst years on record for children in conflict in UNICEF’s history.” Children were killed and maimed in unprecedented numbers, with emerging data indicating the situation is worsening in 2025.
“The statistics are not just numbers — they represent deaths, destroyed childhoods, shattered families, and compromised futures,” the ECPC stated in their appeal.
Science Reveals Lasting Generational Impact
The consortium highlighted critical scientific evidence showing that exposure to violence during two crucial developmental windows creates lasting damage:
- The first 1000 days (conception to age 2): When most brain development occurs
- The second 1000 days (ages 2–5): A crucial period requiring nurturing environments
Recent studies demonstrate that trauma during early childhood can permanently alter brain development and result in inheritable changes in gene expression, meaning the impact of war trauma can be transmitted to future generations.
“War and conflict create toxic stress that derails critical development,” explained ECPC researchers. “Without nurturing care, a child’s brain can suffer from hard-to-reverse and lifelong effects.”
Economic Case for Action
The consortium emphasized that investing in early interventions is not only essential for mitigating immediate damage to war-affected children but also for preventing generational cycles of trauma. The economic benefits of early childhood development programs make them both morally imperative and financially sound investments in global stability.
Four-Point Action Plan
The ECPC outlined four critical actions needed immediately:
- Maintain unwavering advocacy to uphold children’s rights and make stopping the war on children a global priority
- Amplify children’s voices in international forums, including UN conference rooms
- Protect children by supporting their caregivers, recognizing that caregiver safety is fundamental to child protection
- Prioritize evidence-based Early Childhood Development programs as lifesaving interventions throughout humanitarian responses
How You Can Help:
Help us further disseminate this urgent appeal by sharing this press release and/or the ECPC Urgent Appeal “Stop the War on Children NOW!” e.g. with members of your affiliation, social media followers, colleagues, and friends.
Media Contact:
Representatives are available for interviews and/or to discuss the scientific evidence behind early childhood development and conflict prevention. Contact N. Shemrah Fallon, Executive Assistant to the ECPC Secretary, at: secretariat@ecdpeace.org
About the Early Childhood Peace Consortium
The ECPC is a global consortium of United Nations agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, academia, practitioners, and private sector partners focused on sharing scientific and practice-based evidence on how investment in early childhood development can contribute to sustainable peace, social cohesion, and social justice.
For more than two decades, ECPC members have been researching, advocating, and implementing programs to ensure every child can thrive while building pathways to more cohesive and peaceful societies.
