UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday expressed shock at the scale of grave violations against children in such countries as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
In his annual report on children and armed conflict covering the year 2015, the secretary-general noted the complex environments created by aerial operations by the armed forces of some member states and international coalitions, which killed and maimed many children.
In some cases, state-allied armed groups have recruited and used children and committed other violations, Ban said.
“Member states should consider, as a matter of priority, changes in policies, military procedures and legislation, where necessary, to prevent violations and protect children,” he said, stressing that those who engage in military action resulting in numerous violations of children’s rights will find themselves under the UN scrutiny.The situation in Yemen was particularly worrisome with a five-fold increase in the number of children recruited and six times more children killed and maimed compared to 2014, the report said.
Violations committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and neighboring region continued to have a devastating impact on children, including persistent child recruitment and use and boys featured as child soldiers in social media and in some cases as executioners. (Xinhua)