MADRID, Spain — In September 1995, HELP, “the best charity album” in history, was made — and all in a single day. Now, in March 2026, War Child Records is setting out to surpass itself. However, more than being a commercial success, this record label speaks to new and ongoing conflicts across the world. It is worth remembering the millions of children affected by war, the fight that humanity has waged against inequality, and the power music has played in uniting us.
HELP #1 and the Bosnian Conflict
The history behind the first HELP album is as follows: as the Bosnian war continued to mount in the early to mid 1990s, artists such as Oasis, Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Radiohead, Portishead, Brian Eno, Massive Attack and Blur all got together in support of War Child. Inspired by John Lennon, the artists involved demonstrated ‘exceptional collaborative spirit’, raising a record-breaking £1.25 million pounds which went towards emergency aid the children affected.
The Bosnian Civil War spanned from April 1992 to September 1995 following the country’s Declaration of Independence from Yugoslavia. The Siege of Sarajevo was the most well-known catastrophe, in which Bosnian Serb forces enacted a campaign of “ethnic cleansing,” as well as the Srebrenica genocide, which resulted in the killings of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys.
War’s Children
In 1993, the filmmakers David Wilson and Bill Leeson founded War Child, alongside the entrepreneur Willemijn Verloop. Their motto is as relevant now as it was in the 1990s: ”Just one child caught up in conflict is one child too many.” Their work includes providing immediate aid, education and mental health support to the children affected by conflict.
The charity collaborates with artists and labels to utilize the power of the music industry, raising money and awareness of global issues as well as the vulnerable groups most damaged.
In November of last year, various musicians, including Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Olivia Rodrigo, Beabadoobee, King Krule, Big Thief and Fontaines D.C. came together to produce the charity’s second album: HELP 2. Released on March 6, 2026, and as with the landmark 1995 album, all proceeds will go directly to War Child U.K., enabling the charity to continue providing life-saving aid to the children struggling in conflict zones.
Why Now?
As of March 2026, UNICEF stated that it is “deeply concerned” about escalations in Iran, especially on the lives of children affected by conflict. Since February 28, more than 1,100 children have been reported as injured or killed across the Middle East.
Safeguarding the future of children is more imperative than ever before. Various global conflicts, especially since 2020, have pushed the number of children the war affected up from 10% to 19%: now one in six will experience violence, disruption, relocation or injury.
Vanessa Frazier, a Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, notes that in 2024 alone, armed forces recruited or used more than 7,400 children. Child soldiers, as well as disruptions to education, sanitation and health care are major setbacks to world peace and national security, worldwide.
Creativity against Catastrophe
Changes to the aid sector have reduced the amount of money governments like the U.K’s spend on foreign assistance and as wars continue, charity action remains the essential tool capable of mechanising social change. In the words of Young Fathers, of ‘Don’t Fight the Young’ on the new album, say “the years see what the days miss:” War Child’s HELP 2 sees too, and invites listeners to see as well.
– Grace Sandall
Grace is based in Madrid, Spain and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr