Haunting figures of child victims in armed conflict: Stop it!

According to a United Nations (UN) report, armed conflicts around the world leading to violence continued to have serious impacts on children throughout 2023.

Children are the 'helpless victims' in every armed conflict in the world. (Source: The Conversation)

AP news agency cited the UN's annual report "Children in Armed Conflict" as recording that violence against children in 2023 occurred in about 20 conflict zones around the world, including the Gaza Strip and Sudan.

Alarmingly, the number of serious violence causing casualties among children increased to a historic high, with 30,705 cases in 2023, an increase of 21% compared to 2022, recorded in conflicts in the Gaza Strip, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Syria, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan...

The report identifies six types of serious violence against children, including causing casualties, sexual abuse, abduction, recruitment and use of children in conflicts, blocking access to humanitarian aid, and attacks on schools and hospitals.

In Sudan alone, the number of serious violence against children increased by 480% in 2023 compared to 2022. In conflicts in the Middle East, the figure is 155%.

For the first time, the UN report also blacklisted Israeli forces as child rights violators for killing and maiming children and attacking schools and hospitals.

In the report, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed shock and disappointment at the sharp increase in the number of serious violence incidents, and called on all parties to the conflict to take measures to prevent this situation.

According to Mr. Guterres, the increase in the number of violent incidents is mainly due to the expansion of armed conflicts in scale and intensity, the use of weapons in densely populated areas, the emergence of new armed groups, humanitarian emergencies as well as non-compliance with international law.

The report is expected to be released on June 13.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/am-anh-con-so-tham-khoc-ve-nan-nhan-tre-em-trong-xung-dot-vu-trang-hay-dung-lai-274690.html