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After Conflict And Violence, These Refugee Kids Draw What They Saw

UNICEF says about 1 in 4 kids live in a conflict or disaster zone.
Posted at 10:56 AM, Oct 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-13 10:56:29-04

For refugee kids, conflict can come up in their drawings.

"Soldiers used to shoot people," 11-year-old refugee Munjurali said. "They killed my two sisters. So we fled here."

These kids are from Myanmar. The United Nations says 515,000 Rohingya refugees have fled the country since the end of August.

And around the world, UNICEF says almost 1 in 4 kids live in a conflict or disaster zone.

But experts say using art as therapy can be helpful — especially for refugees. That's because drawing can be easier than talking about trauma.

Plus, kids who go through conflict often lose out on doing fun activities, like arts and crafts.

"I'm enjoying being here and playing," Munjurali said. "I'm happy. At home, I couldn't go to school or play properly."