Shocking figures of young ones exposed to sporadic violence

Kenya; Statistics are hard to come on the exact number of children affected by sporadic violence countrywide.

However, data from the Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK), the state agency charged with the care, protection, welfare and adoption of children, indicates cause for concern on the number of children exposed to high levels of violence. For instance, in the 2007/08 post-election violence, CWSK reached at least 52,112 children with psycho-social support and reunited 6,165 children separated from their families during the violence.

In the 2012 Tana River ethnic conflict, they provided psycho-social support to 1,145 children.

And in the recent Lamu County massacres, CWSK has provided psycho-social support to 3,700 children affected by the violence.

In Baringo County, where cases of cattle rustling have nearly become an acceptable way of life, the organisation has given psycho-social support to 3,054 children affected by the attacks.

These numbers show the work done by one organisation. Various other agencies, such as the Kenya Red Cross Society and other community based and non-governmental organisations, have their figures too. But the total number of children affected by the violence remains high.

An even higher figure is of those who go through the violence and receive no psycho-social counselling.