PNN – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in his annual report entitled “Children in Armed Conflicts”, in addition to placing Israel’s name on the black list of children’s rights violators in the world, announced: In 25 countries of the world, the highest amount of violations against children has been committed in the last 10 years.
According to Pakistan News Network’s reporter from the UN Headquarters, Mrs. Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary General’s special representative for children and armed conflicts, read the report of children in armed conflicts at the Security Council meeting.
The representative of the UN Secretary General said: In 25 countries and 1 regional situation covered by the United Nations, 32 thousand 990 cases of serious violations against 22 thousand 557 children have been confirmed in 2023. This is the highest number of annual crimes against children in almost 10 years.
He added: Just compared to 2022 – which already had a severe deterioration for children – the violation of children’s rights increased by 21 percent.
The UN Secretary General’s representative for children stated: All over the world, from Port-au-Prince to Mogadishu, from Kharkiv and Kivus to Khartoum, from Rafah, to Bethlehem and Kibbutz Beri, from Borno State to Arauka Department, and from Mopti to Rakhine State, children are the most affected by the escalation and escalation of crises.
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He emphasized: In war zones, in refugee camps, in urban areas and in homes and schools, children experienced terrible violence. Violence escalated in many situations, for example, in Haiti, children were gang-raped, beheaded with machetes and burned alive by armed gangs.
Ms. Gamba added: Severe violations of children’s rights confirmed in 2023 with the highest statistics are: murder and maiming of children, recruitment and exploitation, denial of humanitarian access, and kidnapping.
He stated: Last year, 5 thousand 301 children were killed and 6 thousand 348 children were disabled or injured, which shows a shocking increase of 35% compared to previous years.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative added: The use of explosive weapons in populated areas, as well as deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, had a devastating impact on children.
Gamba continued: In countless cases, children have been killed and maimed in direct attacks, airstrikes, drones, or when picking up objects to play with that were explosives. For example, in Afghanistan, a 10-year-old boy was killed and his 12-year-old brother was maimed when they played with an unexploded bomb. Whether armed forces or non-governmental armed groups, all involved parties contributed to this deadly outcome.
The report states: Also, 23,000 other violations of Palestinian and Israeli children’s rights have been reported, and verification processes have begun in this regard. Behind every incident of violation of children’s rights in the context of war lies the unique experience of a child. “We cannot forget this.”