Why the World's Children Cannot Wait : Shared by Tom McDermott

PRICE OF PEACE, COST OF WAR: Why the World's Children Cannot Wait Siddharth Chatterjee 

LinkedIn March 1, 2026 Click here for the article

Summary: Siddharth Chatterjee, a veteran of the Indian Army Special Forces and 29-year UN career, reflects on his life's work as he retires from the United Nations on March 1, 2026. 

Drawing on his experience fighting child soldiers in Sri Lanka and later working to demobilize them in South Sudan, he recounts the landmark 2001 UNICEF operation in Rumbek that freed 3,500 child soldiers — the largest such demobilization ever conducted during an active conflict — made possible through his relationship with SPLM commander Salva Kiir. He warns that more than 450 million children now live in conflict zones worldwide, and calls for renewed commitment to protecting children from war.

Photo: UNICEF/OLS

See also Appointment of Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee as Chief Executive Officer of GlobalNeighbours

Quotes:

"What I wasn't emotionally prepared for was the children."

"Out of nine thousand soldiers in the rebel forces, we demobilized thirty-five hundred child soldiers who were deployed on the front lines of the conflict zone. It was the largest such operation ever undertaken during an ongoing conflict."

"According to UNICEF's latest estimates, more than 450 million children — more than one in six worldwide — now live in conflict zones. In Gaza, in Ukraine, in Sudan, in Myanmar, and beyond, children are still paying the highest price for adult failures."

"The children cannot wait. And they should not have to."