When people think of diamonds they think of treasure, beauty, wealth, and marriage. A common saying is that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. For most girls and children, however, these diamonds act more as enemies than as best friends. From the years 1991-2002, the country of Sierra Leone went through a brutal civil war leading to the deaths of an estimated 50,000 people. Atrocities of the war were large and severely impacted not only combatants, but non-combatant civilians as well. The leading cause and funding for this war came from Sierra Leone’s biggest income, diamonds. These diamonds have since been called “Blood Diamonds” or “Conflict Diamonds”. The after effects of this civil war have been massively devastating, especially for women and children. The …show more content…
The civil war in Sierra Leone and its after effects have severely disrupted the lives of women and children and those continuing to live in mining towns remain in exposed risk of mental health issues and a deprivation of education creating a cyclical rut. Background Information on the Sierra Leone Civil War and Blood Diamonds Sierra Leone is among one of the poorest countries in the world, with twenty-six percent of the population not even being able to afford a basic diet and seventy percent living below the poverty line which is drawn at $1.25 per day. Despite being poor, Sierra Leone is rich in natural resources. One of the country's main industries is the mining industry, more specifically the diamond mining industry. This diamond industry should bring jobs and wealth to the