A new United Nations report indicates that more than 15,500 children worldwide have been victims of widespread violations in conflict situations.
These children have been exposed to “shocking levels” of violations such as killings and mutilations, recruitment and use for armed purposes, and denial of humanitarian access.
According to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, presented on Thursday to the Security Council, children in countries such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen have suffered an unacceptable level of violations by parties to the conflict – both government forces and non-state armed groups.
“The tragic fate of children affected by conflict cannot and should not leave us indifferent,” said Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. “A child killed, recruited as a soldier, injured in an attack, or prevented from going to school due to conflict is already one child too many.”
Out of the 20 countries reviewed in the report, at least 4,000 verified violations were committed by government forces and over 11,500 by non-state armed groups. Afghanistan recorded the highest number of verified child casualties since the UN began counting civilian casualties in 2009, with 3,512 children killed or mutilated last year – an increase of 24% compared to the previous year.
The report also lists 851 verified cases (more than double the number in 2015) of children recruited and used for combat in Syria and 1,915 in Somalia in 2016. It also notes that in Yemen, at least 1,340 children were killed or mutilated, while in Syria, this number was 1,299.
“The UN chief ‘appalled’ by the scale of violations”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his call to parties in conflict to respect their responsibility to protect children, in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights.
“The purpose of the report is not only to raise awareness of children’s rights violations but also to promote measures that can reduce the tragic fate of children in conflict,” said the UN chief’s spokesperson.
“The Secretary-General is encouraged by the fact that several governments and non-state actors are working with the United Nations on this goal. He hopes that more will follow suit,” he added.
The violations mentioned in the report include recruitment or use of children for conflict, the murder or mutilation of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks on schools and/or hospitals, and the abduction of children in situations of armed conflict.
The parties that have committed these violations are listed in the annexes of the report. The annexes also include parties that have implemented measures to improve the protection of children during the period under consideration and those that have not taken adequate measures.
Press release issued by the Special Representative at the time of the report’s publication (in English)
Report of the Secretary-General on the plight of children in times of armed conflict
This text is a modification of an article published by the United Nations News Centre
