More than 12,000 children were victims of conflicts in 2018, UN report -

United Nations: Dreadful information that more than 12,000 children have been killed or maimed in the intense conflicts in various parts of the world has come to the fore. Report by ‘Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict’, a part of the United Nations, has revealed this disheartening information. It is also shocking to note that the report claims that more than the terror and rebel attacks, it is the action of the government and international militaries that have resulted in more deaths of children.

The report once again highlights the fact that children are the worst hit in the conflicts and wars in various parts of the world. In the last one month, the United Nations released reports regarding natural calamities and climate and also regarding the effects of famines and starvation and the losses caused because of them. In both these reports, children have been named to be the worst affected by the calamities and starvation. The new report also points to the same dreadful fact.

‘Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict’ has noted, in its report, more than 24,000 severe incidents against children, which occurred during the conflicts, in the year 2018. These include over and above the children killed in these incidents, children getting injured and disabled, atrocities faced by children and use of children as weapons. The maximum number of children have been killed in the Afghanistan conflict, which amounts to nearly 3,000.

Along with Afghanistan the number of children killed in Yemen, Syria and Palestine also is significant. Yemen and Syria account for nearly 1,500 to 2,000 children deaths, each. The report has a severe warning that the number of children being killed in the government and international military actions is on the rise.

The report targets the conflict Saudi Arabian campaign in Yemen. Children have been the worst affected in the Saudi attacks carried out without proper evidence and information. Africa leads in the use of children as weapons and terrorist organisations in Somalia and Nigeria are accused of cruelly exploiting children. Al Shabab has given more than 2,000 children terrorism training in Somalia, and there are children even aged 8 in this group.

The UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres has taken a serious note of this report and expressed concerns that the extent and intensity of violence against children were increasing.