World Day for War Orphans is observed every year on January 6. The day gives the global communities a chance to recognise the plight of a particularly vulnerable group. Most of the orphans in the world face severe hardship as they have no one to protect them. They are at high risk of hunger, disease and many other problems.

According to the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), there were nearly 140 million orphans worldwide in 2015. "This included 61 million in Asia, 52 million in Africa, 10 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 7.3 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia," the data reveals.

UNICEF describes an orphan as "a child under 18 years of age who has lost one or both parents to any cause of death." Out of 140 million orphan children, more than 15 million have lost both parents.

World Day for war orphans has huge significance as several countries in the world have become war zones and civilians are facing the brunt without any choice. The children are the most vulnerable group as ones who have lost families face the most hardships. The day is to honour them and remind us that every child must be cared for.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 06, 2021 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).