27,180 grave violations were committed against children caught up in war – the highest number ever verified by the UN

The 2022 was a “dire year” for children caught in conflict, with the number of attacks on schools and hospitals doubling from the previous year, the UN’s annual report on children and armed conflict has revealed.

There were 1,163 attacks on schools and hospitals in 24 conflict zones around the world, a significant increase from the 576 attacks recorded in 2021.

27,180 grave violations were committed against children caught up in war – the highest number ever verified by the UN.

Presenting her latest annual report, Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, appealed for “bold and resolute action” to protect boys and girls at risk of death, recruitment, rape and other horrors.

The report covers 26 situations in five regions worldwide, representing another high.

Countries include Ethiopia, Mozambique and Ukraine, which are being featured for the first time. New situations in Haiti and Niger are mentioned and details will appear in next year’s edition.

The UN has verified that 18,890 children suffered grave violations during wartime in 2022. Some 8,630 were either killed or maimed, 7,622 were recruited and used in combat, and 3,985 were abducted.

Gamba said these three violations remained the ones verified at the highest levels, and they all increased last year.

“Children were killed or injured in airstrikes, by explosive weapons, by live ammunition, in crossfire, or in direct attacks. In many cases, they fell victim to explosive remnants of war,” she said.

Moreover, 1,165 children, mainly girls, were raped, gang-raped, forced into marriage or sexual slavery, or sexually assaulted. Some cases were so severe that the victims died.

The senior UN official underlined the need to never forget that these numbers represent actual children whose individual stories are not told.

She cited examples such as the case of three girls in South Sudan who were gang-raped over a five-day period, a 14-year-old girl abducted and burned alive in Myanmar, and boys killed by an improvised explosive device in a school in Afghanistan.

“This is why we must remember that behind the figures are the faces of children suffering from armed violence around the globe. We must do more to prevent and protect our children from the ravages of armed conflict,” she said.

Gamba also noted that some child victims are punished for their circumstances instead of receiving protection. Last year, 2,496 children were deprived of liberty for their actual or alleged association with parties to conflict.

“Being particularly vulnerable at the hands of authorities, children under detention were exposed to further violations of their rights, including torture and sexual violence. In some cases, they were even sentenced to death,” she said.

The report further revealed verified attacks on 1,163 schools and nearly 650 hospitals in 2022, representing a 112 per cent increase over the previous year. Half of these attacks were carried out by Government forces.

She said the use of schools and hospitals for military purposes also remains a major concern, with a verified “sharp increase” of over 60 per cent in cases last year, both by armed forces and armed groups.

Meanwhile, humanitarians and the vital aid they provide – often the “only hope” for children and communities affected by conflict – have increasingly come under fire.

The UN verified more than 3,930 incidents of the denial of humanitarian access to children last year. Aid workers were also killed, assaulted and abducted, while humanitarian supplies were looted, and assets and vital infrastructure destroyed.

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