It would be fair to say that 2016 was a challenging year, particularly for children. Natural disasters, conflict, political upheavals, famine and disease always pose the greatest threat to the most fragile.
Yet, every time I am in the field, I see children who, despite their often dire situation, have the capacity to play, to smile and above all, to hope. Looking into their eyes I see resilience, strength and determination for a better future.
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Hiba's story: There is hope
10-year-old Hiba recounts her long journey from the violence of Syria to a refugee camp in Macedonia, where she looks forward to a bright future. Courtesy of UNICEF.
With nearly a quarter of the world's children now living in conflict or disaster-stricken countries and almost 50 million children uprooted from their homes, we are experiencing the largest refugee emergency since World War II.
And the crises causing children and their families to flee are getting worse, not better.
![Hiba Al Nabolsi is a 10-year-old Syrian girl who grew up in war.](/web/20170104204331im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/y/l/n/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtkwio.png/1483559315563.jpg)
But as we reflect on a difficult year and consider what 2017 may bring, we must take a leaf out of the book of those most affected.
I have seen more bravery, more resolve and more resourcefulness than you'd think possible from a child. And I'm sure every single person who works for and with children around the world would say the same.Â
Take Hiba Al Naboisi, a 10-year-old Syrian girl, who has spent half her life in war and endured a treacherous journey to safety. As bombs rained down on her native home of Deraa, one of the towns most heavily affected by Syria's armed conflict, Hiba saw her friends and neighbours dying around her and could do nothing to stop it.
Her eldest brother was killed as her family fled the country and the simple pleasures of childhood – school, friends, play and laughter – were very far away as she traversed the cold and stormy Mediterranean Sea in a tiny rubber boat. Â
![Hiba, 10, with her parents and brothers in their temporary shelter in a migrant reception centre near Gevgelija in the ...](/web/20170104204331im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/y/l/p/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtkwio.png/1483559315563.jpg)
Hiba now lives in a refugee and migrant transit centre near the town of Gevgelija, in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Like some 200 other refugee and migrant families, Hiba's family live in a small, mass-produced metal shelter, too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. They can't leave the gates of the centre and don't know how long they'll need to wait for a settlement solution, a new life.
Yet, despite the devastation of war, the trauma of fleeing her home and the long, perilous journey to a foreign land, Hiba loves her life in the camp. She spends as much time as possible in the camp's child-friendly space, learning English, German and Macedonian, drawing, playing and dancing; being a child. Hiba is again a sunny girl with big dreams and unbreakable optimism.
![Hiba has relished being back in a school environment.](/web/20170104204331im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/l/y/l/q/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtkwio.png/1483559315563.jpg)
She says: "I'm very strong and competent. I'm very strong. I know my future is very bright. I want to become a teacher and teach children, because all children deserve a good life – a good life for all."
We must look forward with hope and determination, to a better future for all the world's children. As the global migrant and refugee crisis continues, as conflicts endure, as disease and natural disasters strike, the one constant is the need to protect and support children, our future.
Australia and Australians have long been at the forefront of work to ensure that every child is given a fair chance in life. We excel as donors and as international development and humanitarian personnel, working relentlessly in some of the world's toughest places to reach the most vulnerable children.
Australians are world leaders at rallying when things get tough, of never giving up. So as the events of 2017 unfold, we must continue to be compassionate, generous and practical contributors on the world stage, bringing help and hope to those who need it most.
John Stewart is president of UNICEF Australia. It is UNICEF's 70th anniversary.
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