‘Dire year’ for children caught in conflict, as hospital and school attacks double
The Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba presented the new annual report of the Secretary General, for 2022, which showed that there were 27,180 grave crimes in total, an increase from the previous year.
Recorded crimes only refer to verified information, with the highest cost, and cover four categories: recruitment and use of children in armed groups or armed forces, killing and murder, rape and torture -sexual influence, and withdrawal.
Two-thirds of the crimes involved boys, with 24 different conflict situations. A total of 8,831 children were killed or maimed, and another 7,622 were abducted by groups or armed forces.
The worst offenders
Ms. Gamba told reporters at a press conference in New York that countries are making the record high number of offenses is the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Israel, the State of Palestine, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
“Monitoring and prevention of serious crimes was extremely challengingincluding due to access restrictions leading to under-reporting of such crimes and an increase in the number of crimes verified in 2022,” according to the report.
Countries where “the worse damage” happened in Myanmar, South Sudan, and Burkina Faso.
A small child eats food at a camp for displaced people in the North Kivu region after fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Schools and hospitals
They are 1,163 attacks on schools recorded, and 647 attacks on hospitalss – a 112 percent increase, the report said.
The widespread military use of schools by both the military and paramilitary groups, is “excessive stress culture“, said Ms. Gamba, calling for them to be in “areas of peace”.
About 2,500 children are detained, a practice that “should only be used as a last resort and for a short period of time”, he added.
Russia added to the list of criminals
Ms. Gamba said that the Russian army and allied military groups in Ukraine were added to the report as a known perpetrator, for the number of attacks on hospitals and schools carried out during the attacks and killings. children during military operations.
Russia’s use of rocket systems, airstrikes, and shelling of populated areas has resulted in “very high casualties”, he said, adding that his engagement with Moscow to introduce measures to reduce attacks will continue .
He said that the Ukrainian forces have also received a warning from the UN Secretary General through the report because of the attacks carried out on schools and hospitals during the war.
Following that even defensive responses need to be consistent with international humanitarian law, he praised the progress made by the Ukrainian Government to make improvements.
Israel, Palestine is not included
The Special Representative said that Israel and the State of Palestine will not be added to the international list of perpetrators, stressing that a warning not to repeat the civil attack on Gaza in May 2021 and retaliatory missile launches has been well heeded.
He said he was “significant reduction“in Israeli airstrikes in 2022, noting that the whole purpose of publishing the report and highlighting the violence is to change behavior and strengthen security.
However, it raises concerns about the continued high level of violence in the Western Hemisphere and the occupied territories until this year.
Among those added to the list of perpetrators are armed groups in the DRC including M23, Mai-Mai Zaire, and CODECO. Two non-state players in Burkina Faso were also added.
Ms. Gamba also highlighted the addition of Myanmar military leaders, listed for attacks on schools and hospitals, saying “they sit with five dice“.
In addition, he said two conditions – in Haiti and Niger – are of growing concern to your office.
