United Nations – 71 Abuses Against Children in Warzones Daily

Between 2005 and 2020, the United Nations have verified over 266,000 grave violations against children in war, however, they say this is only a fraction of the violations believed to have occurred, says UNICEF in a new report.

The verified cases have come from over 30 conflicts spanning through Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Between 2016 and 2021, the United Nations have verified an average of 71 grave violations against children daily.

UNICEF’s report, titled 25 years of children and armed conflict: Taking action to protect children in war, found that between 2005 and 2020, at least 104,100 children have been verified killed or maimed in war, more than 93,000 have been used as child soldiers, with at least 25,700 verified as abducted in warzones.

Since 2005, there have been at least 13,900 verified attacks against schools and hospitals and over 14,900 denials of humanitarian access to children.

“This report lays out in the starkest possible terms the world’s failure to protect its children from grave violations during times of armed conflict,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“Grave violations devastate children, families, and communities – and they tear at the fabric of society, making it even harder to restore and sustain peace, security, and stability. We must refuse to accept violations against children as an unavoidable outcome of war”, she added.

Staggering amounts of sexual violence against children have also occurred, with at least 14,200 child victims of rape, forced marriage, and other forms of sexual exploitation. Many children suffer from more than one grave violation, abducted children and child soldiers having an increased risk of sexual violence. Girls are especially vulnerable to sexual violence and forced marriage in these contexts.

The number of verified violations has jumped since 2005, surpassing 20,000 in one year for the first time in 2014 and reaching 26,425 by 2020. The increased number of conflicts in recent years, including the ongoing wars in Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Tigray region, have all demonstrated the extreme impact that war has on children.

These violations were committed by state and non-state actors alike, with state actors responsible for at least 26% of violations, and non-state actors accounting for approximately 58%. The increase in non-state actors in conflict, along with a lack of accountability for non-stake actors, is a major concern surrounding children in warzones.

Between 2005 and 2021, sustainable and concrete measures have been put in place to prevent the suffering of children in these circumstances, with 37 Action Plans signed in 17 conflict situations – 70% of those being signed by non-state actors.

The ever-growing number of armed non-State actors, the development and employment of new means and methods of warfare, the use of improvised explosive devices and other explosive weapons, particularly in populated areas, are just some of the many factors contributing to the creation of unprecedented challenges for the protection of children in situations of armed conflict.

The report’s findings also showed those children at heightened risk of violations – children from backgrounds of poverty, refugees, and indigenous children. Boys accounted for 73% of victims of grave violations, particularly when it came to their use as child soldiers. However 98% of victims of grave sexual violence were girls.

Almost 80% of all child casualties came from five conflicts, those in Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia. The use of explosive weapons such as bombs or landmines were particularly dangerous to children. In 2020, explosives were responsible for at least 47% of children killed or maimed in war.

Catherine Russell said: “UNICEF and our partners will not waver in our work to prevent grave violations against children. With more children affected by conflict, violence, and crises now than at any time since the Second World War”.

UNICEF’s recommendations aim to mobilise those with power, including parties in conflict, states, and the United Nations, to protect children and to abide by international human rights and humanitarian law.

The report’s recommendations include how to provide adequate care and services to children in warzones, improve data analysis, and developing action plans to protect children.

Ms Russell concluded: “This work has never been more urgent.”