Genocide stole their parents, so these families of children struggle to survive alone

JAMES TOPHAM, Head of Communications at War Child, said yesterday that he was delighted with the response of Independent readers to our Christmas Appeal.

Telephone donations were coming in at a rate so far of pounds 1,000 a day, while coupons were matching this. The total so far donated is pounds 10,000 and rising rapidly.

Mr Topham said the appeal would provide the charity with the means to move into parts of the world where War Child had not worked before, as well as consolidate where it is already established.

He was particularly pleased that The Independent was drawing attention to "forgotten war zones". In the series that will run until 1 January 2000, our correspondents will report on the situation of children in East Timor, Angola, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Kosovo while the Independent on Sunday willcover Bosnia, Sudan and Eritrea.