Haunted by the horrific number 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)

The Associated Press, citing the UN's annual report "Children in Armed Conflict," noted that violence against children occurred in approximately 200 conflict zones worldwide in 2023, including the Gaza Strip and Sudan.

Alarmingly, the number of serious acts of violence resulting in child casualties has increased to a record high, with 30,705 incidents in 2023, a 21% increase compared to 2022, recorded in conflicts in the Gaza Strip, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Syria, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, and other countries.

The report identifies six serious forms of violence against children, including causing injury or death, sexual abuse, abduction, recruitment and use of children in conflicts, obstruction of access to humanitarian aid, and attacks on schools and hospitals.

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

For the first time, the UN report also blacklisted Israeli forces as a country violating children's rights for killing and injuring children, as well as attacking schools and hospitals.

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

According to Guterres, the increase in violence 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, and a lack of adherence to international law.

The report is expected to be published on June 13th.

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