【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2014 年 12 月 31 日羅馬慈幼總部訊】 ─ 聯合國兒童基金會（UNICEF）的報告顯示，2014年對兒童來說是可怕的一年：共有1千5百萬兒童，成為不同國家暴力衝突的受害者。有2億3千萬兒童，正身處戰雲密佈的地區。他們有的在學校、有的在睡夢中遭殺害。很多兒童成為孤兒，其他有的被拐帶、有的被徵召入伍、有的遭虐待或強姦、或被賣為奴。UNICEF執行主任安東尼雷克表示：「這麼多兒童遭受如此可怖的野蠻對待，為現代歷史所罕見。」
2014年，共有1千5百萬兒童遭受中非共和國、伊拉克、南蘇丹、巴勒斯坦、敘利亞及烏克蘭武裝衝突的威脅。他們中包括被遷徙及淪為難民的兒童。目前全球共有2億3千萬兒童在戰區居住。
根據聯合國兒童基金會的資料顯示，中非共和國共有2百30萬兒童，成為各種衝突的受害者，其中逾萬名兒童，相信已被徵召進入武裝部隊，超過439名兒童被殺害或傷殘。在加沙地帶的一場以色列軍事行動後，5萬4千名兒童流離失所、538名兒童遭殺害、3370名兒童受傷。在敘利亞，超過7百30萬兒童受衝突事故影響，包括1百70萬名難民。在伊拉克，衝突事故的受害兒童數目達2百70萬。
慈幼會傳教議員Guillermo Basañes神父，對這些悲慘的災難實況有以下的評語：「相信鮑思高神父的一生，也從未目睹這些驚人的邪惡形式。假如獄中的青年已使他流淚，那麼今天青年所面對的境況，定會傷透他的心靈。
鮑思高神父與諸位聖人，在牧民方面充沛的應變能力及想像力，用以面對這些兒童痛苦狀況，是最豐碩的資源之一。我們行善的力量（並要行善得好！），尤其在全球化及互相合作的基礎下，遠比鮑思高神父的年代大得多。」
2014: a terrible year for children
(ANS - RMG –Roma, 31 December 2014) – According to a UNICEF report, 2014 was a terrible year for children: 15 million were involved in violent conflicts in various countries. 230 million are currently living in areas affected by war. Children were killed in their schools or as they slept in their beds. Many were orphaned, others were abducted, recruited as soldiers, tortured and raped, or sold into slavery. "Never in recent history have so many children been subjected to such horrible brutality," said Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF.
In 2014, fifteen million children were involved in armed conflict in the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan, Palestine, Syria and Ukraine. This includes minors who were displaced and many refugees. In the world there are 230 million children living in war zones.
According to UNICEF, in the Central African Republic 2.3 million children were affected by conflicts, some 10,000 children are believed to have been recruited by armed groups and more than 439 were killed or maimed. In Gaza, following an Israeli army operation, 54,000 children became displaced, 538 were killed and 3,370 wounded. In Syria, more than 7.3 million children are involved in the conflict, including 1.7 million refugees. 2.7 million children are affected by the conflict in Iraq.
Faced with these tragic realities of suffering, the Councillor for the Salesian Missions Fr Guillermo Basañes made this comment: "Certainly Don Bosco could never have imagined most of these dramatic forms of evil in his time. If he wept on account of young people in prison, then what young people are facing today would break his heart.
The tireless apostolic resourcefulness and imagination of Don Bosco and the saints, is one of the most fruitful resources in confronting these painful situations facing children. Our ability to do good (and do it well!), certainly is much greater today than it was in the time of Don Bosco, especially by way of globalization of and solidarity."