World Day of War Orphans observed on 6 January

Exam-focused facts from the 6 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

World Day of War Orphans is observed annually on 6 January to show the struggles experienced by children who lost their parents during war or armed conflicts.
The day was launched by the French organisation SOS Enfants en Détresse to draw international attention to children who lose parental care because of wars and armed conflicts.
Historical accounts show that the Second World War left millions of children orphaned across Europe, with Poland and Yugoslavia alone reporting about 300,000 and 200,000 orphans, respectively.