Event to mark impact of war on children

An event to be staged at the Australian War Memorial will recognise the sad fact children are still suffering from wars waged by adults.

Save the Children Australia will mark its centenary year on November 25 with a national event at the memorial in Canberra.

Reflecting on Save the Children's advocacy to repatriate the children of Australian foreign fighters from Syria, acting CEO Mat Tinkler said while not always popular, defending the rights of the most vulnerable children will always guide the organisation's work.

"It is perhaps one of the most damning indictments on humanity that children are still suffering from wars waged by adults," he said.

"The simple idea, that all children caught in conflict should be protected, continues to be one of the driving forces behind our work today."

The event will include two key speakers - Dr Susan Neuhaus CSC, a distinguished Army officer and highly respected conflict medicine expert, and Save the Children's Syria response director Sonia Khush.

Ms Khush said more than 74,000 children remain away from their homes in northeast Syria, with many living in schools, abandoned buildings or tents.

"In addition to a lasting cessation of hostilities, the free and unimpeded movement of civilians and aid workers in northeast Syria is the only way today to avoid a full-scale humanitarian crisis."