The United Nations released its annual Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) report in which it states that grave violations against children remained “alarmingly high” at nearly 26,500, while the pandemic increased their vulnerability to abduction, recruitment and sexual violence, as well as attacks on schools and hospitals.
The report released on 21 June cites that at least 19,379 children affected by war in 2020 were victims of grave violations such as recruitment or rape. Further, the report states that the highest numbers of ‘grave violations’ were recorded in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. Meanwhile, more than 8,400 children were killed or harmed in ongoing wars and nearly 7,000 others were recruited to fight, mainly in the DRC, Somalia, Syria, and Myanmar.
Verified cases of abduction and sexual violence against children increased alarmingly by 90 and 70 per cent, respectively. Abduction is often combined with the recruitment and use of children and sexual violence. Continued high levels of denial of humanitarian access to children remained a concern. While attacks on hospitals decreased and attacks on schools increased, both continued to endanger children.
Abductions, attacks on girls’ education
More than 8,400 youngsters were killed or maimed in ongoing wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia, while nearly 7,000 more were recruited and used in fighting, mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Syria and Myanmar.
Researchers reported “exponential growth” in abductions, which rose by a staggering 90 per cent last year. Rape and other forms of sexual violence also shot up by 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, attacks on schools and hospitals “remained excessively high”, which included serious attacks perpetrated against girls’ education and against health facilities and personnel. There was also an increase in the military use of schools, as the temporary closure of schools during the pandemic made them easy targets for military occupation and use.
The report further revealed that girls made up a quarter of all child victims of grave violations. They also were mostly affected by rape and other forms of sexual violence, comprising 98 per cent of victims, followed by killing and maiming.
“If boys and girls experience conflict differently and require interventions to better address their specific needs, what the data also showed is that conflict doesn’t differentiate based on gender,” Ms. Gamba stated.
Despite the sobering statistics, the report also details tangible progress in dialogues with warring parties in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Sudan and Syria.
Some 35 new commitments or other engagement were reached last year to better protect children, including two new action plans signed in Myanmar and South Sudan.
Additionally, armed groups and forces freed more than 12,643 children from their ranks following UN engagement, and many more boys and girls were spared from recruitment due to age screening processes in situations where the UN has action plans with governments to stop child recruitment and use.
The report stated, however, that progress has taken place as child protection capacities on the ground are both overstretched and underfunded.
Aayush Pal 
Dhruv Ashok 
Shobhil Shrivastava