Latest news with #childrenInConflict
Times of Oman
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
UN: 2024 witnessed record number of grave violations against children in conflicts in nearly 30 years
Geneva: The United Nations (UN) reported that 2024 witnessed the highest number of grave violations against children in armed conflict in nearly 30 years and pointed out that the highest amount of grave violations was documented in the occupied Palestinian territories, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba stated in her briefing to an open debate of the UN Security Council that wars and armed conflicts inflict horrific levels of violence on children. "It is as if parties to war and conflict, and we, the international community, choose to settle our disputes through military means at an enormous cost for our children, rather than choosing to negotiate peace for the benefit of all children," she added. "We cannot continue to stand by and watch with no action what is happening to the children globally, and especially in Gaza. The scale of destruction and suffering borne by the children of Gaza defies and contravenes every human standard. There is no justification for depriving children of access to the means for their survival, including access to food, healthcare, and security," Gamba stressed. The UN official highlighted the importance of providing sustainable resources to mitigate these violations, noting the difficulties they faced in monitoring, verification, and reporting. "The reduction of child protection expertise will lead to the inability to verify violations and, more importantly, identify perpetrators of such violations," she added.
Arab News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Saudi UN envoy demands global action to protect kids in conflict zones, condemns Gaza violence
NEW YORK CITY: Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, called on Wednesday for urgent international action to protect children in conflict zones, warning that failure to do so would undermine efforts to build more stable and prosperous societies. Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting convened to discuss the effects of armed conflicts on youngsters, Alwasil emphasized the importance of protecting children, describing it as a legal obligation and moral responsibility, particularly in nations affected by prolonged violence. During the session, UN officials detailed an unprecedented surge in the number of grave violations against children during armed conflicts worldwide. The meeting followed the publication of a devastating annual report by the UN secretary-general's special representative for children and armed conflict, Virginia Gamba. It documented 41,370 grave violations against children during 2024, a 25 percent increase compared with the previous year, and the highest number since the UN's Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism was established in 2005. The verified abuses of children spanned 25 countries and included killings, maiming, recruitment, abductions, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of access to humanitarian assistance. 'This year marked a devastating new record,' Gamba told council members. 'Behind these numbers are the shattered stories, dreams and futures of over 22,000 children.' She cited a sharp increase in 'compounded violations,' in which children were abducted, recruited and sexually abused, often simultaneously, in the context of deteriorating humanitarian crises. Israel was responsible for the highest number of violations by a single country against children in 2024, the report stated. Alwasil said: 'As we approach the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1612, which established mechanisms for monitoring violations against children in armed conflict, the international community must focus on two priorities: We must break the cycle of violence and create an environment that rejects extremism and fosters resilience.' The envoy expressed appreciation for Gamba's work, and emphasized the Kingdom's commitment to the application of international legal instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocols. He stressed the shared responsibility of all parties for the protection of children and for efforts to address the root causes of armed violence. Turning to the crisis in Gaza in particular, Alwasil sharply rebuked Israeli authorities over their military operations in the territory. 'What is happening in Gaza now is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and humanitarian values,' he said. 'Civilians live under constant bombardment and a suffocating blockade, facing systematic aggression by Israeli armed forces. This has led to the deaths of 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.' The war has deprived more than 1 million children in Gaza of basic necessities, including food and medicine, Alwasil said. He called for immediate international action to end the conflict, protect vulnerable populations and hold accountable those responsible for violations. 'The Kingdom affirms that the protection of children in areas of armed conflict is a legal duty that cannot be shirked, and a moral responsibility that cannot be ignored,' he concluded. 'Saudi Arabia supports all UN efforts aimed at protecting civilians, and enhancing international cooperation to respond to the suffering of children affected by war, wherever they may be.'
The National
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Israel and Hamas on UN blacklist for violence against children for second year running
Israel and Hamas are back on a UN "list of shame" for grave abuses against children in conflict zones for the second year running. An annual report for 2024, issued by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and released on Friday, identified nearly 20 conflict zones worldwide where the rights of children under 18 have been violated. The report includes a list that names groups and armed forces responsible for abuses such as killing and maiming children, recruiting minors for violence, kidnappings, denying humanitarian aid and sexual violence. The report for 2024 said more than 8,500 incidents had been verified in Israel and Palestine - the highest globally - with 2,917 Palestinian and 15 Israeli children killed or maimed. The October-December 2023 period saw a sharp spike, with 1,637 Palestinian children killed and 1,147 injured, compared to two Israeli child deaths. 'These figures represent real children whose lives have been violently torn from them, whose schools have been bombed, and who have been left without access to life-saving humanitarian aid,' said Bethany Ellis, director of Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. The report also called out Israel's military operations in Lebanon, where more than 500 children were killed or injured last year. Violence against children in war zones around the world surged to 'unprecedented levels' last year, with the highest number of grave abuses recorded in nearly three decades. The report documented a 25 per cent surge in severe abuses against children compared to 2023, continuing a worsening trend. 'In 2024, violence against children in armed conflict reached unprecedented levels, with a staggering 25 per cent surge in the number of grave violations,' the report said. A total of 41,370 violations were verified – 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 from prior years but newly confirmed – the highest since the UN began systematic monitoring. The figure surpasses 2023's record, which itself saw a 21 per cent rise from 2022. More than 4,500 children were killed and 7,000 injured, with minors enduring 'the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks', the report said. It also noted a sharp increase in children suffering several acts of abuse, with 22,495 such cases recorded. 'The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings, should keep all of us awake at night,' said Virginia Gamba, special representative of the UN Secretary General for children and armed conflict. 'This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return."
CNA
20-06-2025
- CNA
Children in armed conflict: UN reports 25% jump in violations in 2024
A UN report says children in conflict zones fell victim to unprecedented levels of violence last year. Tens of thousands of them were affected by armed conflict, with many of them recruited, maimed, violated or killed in more than 20 countries. In Asia, most cases were recorded in Myanmar.
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Children suffered record levels of violence in conflict zones in 2024, UN report shows
A record number of children were subjected to acts of violence in conflict zones in 2024, with the number of incidents recorded rising by 25%, according to a UN report. The UN security council's annual report on children and armed conflict found 22,495 children in 2024 were killed, wounded, denied humanitarian support or recruited for conflict. It highlighted a 44% rise in attacks on schools and 35% rise in sexual violence against children. 'This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return,' said Virginia Gamba, the special representative of the UN secretary general for children and armed conflict. 'Children living amid hostilities are being stripped of their childhood. Instead of recognising the special protection afforded to children, governments and armed groups around the world blatantly ignore international law that defines a child as anyone under 18.' The report verified 41,370 incidents of violations against children – including 5,149 that occurred earlier but were only verified in 2024 – with 4,856 in Gaza, primarily carried out by the Israeli security forces, including killings, injuries and the denial of permits for medical treatment. It verified 22 cases of Palestinian boys being used by Israeli forces as human shields in Gaza and five in the occupied West Bank. It also highlighted rises in violence against children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti. The number of incidents was the highest since the UN began verifying reports in 1996. The report also said there was an increase in the number of children suffering multiple violations, from 2,684 in 2023 to 3,137 in 2024, especially in cases where abductions, recruitment and sexual violence converged. 'To normalise this level of violence against children is to accept the dismantling of our collective humanity. The level of alarm is unprecedented. Governments must act immediately to turn the tide of grief, trauma and loss borne by children,' said Helen Pattinson, CEO of War Child UK. Of more than 4,000 incidents recorded in DRC, more than half involved children being recruited by armed groups. There was also a 35% rise in sexual violence against children in 2024, with almost 2,000 cases. More than a quarter were recorded in Haiti, with 406 cases of rape and 160 involving gang rape. There were 419 cases of sexual violence in Nigeria, 358 in DRC and 267 in Somalia. The report said it was concerned by the 'dramatic' rise in gang rape and the abduction of girls for sexual slavery, which it said highlighted how sexual violence against children was being used as a weapon of war. Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, said sexual violence 'must be treated with the same gravity as guns and bombs'. 'Sexual violence against children in conflict is a crime which once took place in the shadows but is now more and more becoming used as an overt tactic of war,' said Ashing. 'No one should have to endure the pain and humiliation of rape and sexual exploitation and violence, and it is particularly deplorable when a child is subjected to this brutality.'
