British singer Sam Smith has spoken about the devastating effects of war on children after visiting Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp as the global ambassador for UK charity War child, calling on the international community to help.

"To my wonderful fans, I am so excited to announce that I have become a global ambassador for the incredible humanitarian group @WarChildUK," Smith wrote in an tweeted Monday morning, featuring pictures of him with two of the children he met during his trips with the charitable group in Iraq and Jordan.

To my wonderful fans, I am so excited to announce that I have become a global ambassador for the incredible humanitarian group @WarChildUK. Over the past year I have been on two trips with War Child to Iraq & to Jordan to witness first hand what this incredible charity are doing pic.twitter.com/zxEaxkar2Z

— Sam Smith (@samsmithworld) December 4, 2017

The singer-songwriter is backing a new report and campaign from the charity, which aims to raise awareness and funds to support the mental health and wellbeing of children affected by war.

Smith launched the campaign following visits to the charity’s programmes in Northern Iraq and on the Jordanian border with Syria.

He said: “When we think of the damage war inflicts, we often think of the physical impact – the buildings destroyed and the people killed.

“However, while this is devastating, what we too often forget is the equally devastating impact war can have on the minds of the children who live through it – impacts that many will carry through into adulthood and that can end up blighting their whole lives.

“During my visits to War Child’s programmes this year, it was heartbreaking to see the number of children who have had their lives ripped apart by war, knowing that what I was seeing was just the tip of the iceberg.

“However, it was also inspiring to see the drive these children have to try and carry on, and the positive changes that War Child’s work can have on their lives.

War Child UK CEO Rob Williams said: “Since joining War Child as Global Ambassador, Sam has inspired us all with his passion, intelligence and sensitivity. With 250 million children in the world today affected by war, the need is as great as ever to stand up for their rights.”

War Child’s report, Reclaiming dreams – prioritises the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children in conflict, and highlights the scale of mental health psychosocial support (MHPSS) required to help children recover from the mental impact of their experiences in war.