Football to help children in war

By Harry Peart
BBC sports correspondent

Football can rebuild shattered lives

The Red Cross and European football's governing body Uefa have joined to raise awareness of the plight of children suffering the effects of war.

The campaign will be linked to international football matches until the end of next year's European Championship in Portugal.

The partnership offers the Red Cross a huge audience.

The European Championship is expected to attract a cumulative television audience of seven billion viewers.

The two organisations may not seem like natural partners, International Red Cross president, Jakob Kellenberger said.

But in different ways, both can bring hope and new motivation to young people who have seen their communities destroyed by armed conflict, he added.

Rebuilding lives

The theme will be Protect Children in War, and one of the world's top referees, Pierluigi Collina, will serve as the ambassador for the campaign.

He hopes his involvement will create awareness among football supporters of children's special problems.

The focus of the Red Cross activities will be centred on reuniting children with their families, assisting them in their physical and psychological recovery, helping meet their basic needs and campaigning against the use of child soldiers.

Uefa General Secretary Gerhard Aigner said sport and football in particular had proved highly effective in the rehabilitation of children damaged by war.

He said football's concepts of fair play, solidarity and team spirit could help give children a new basis on which to build their shattered lives.