New record set for child casualties in war; Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria at the top
A new United Nations report shows that more than 12,000 children were killed or injured in armed conflicts around the world last year, setting a new record for child casualties. Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen are at the top of the list.
According to the Associated Press, the child deaths in 2018 were among more than 24,000 "serious violations" of children's rights recorded in a UN report: from child soldiers, to rape and sexual violence, and repeated attacks on schools and hospitals.
The worst place for children was Afghanistan, a country that topped the “Children in Armed Conflict” report with 3,062 recorded cases of deaths and injuries. Children account for nearly 30 percent of all civilian casualties in that country.
In Syria, airstrikes, landmine explosions, and the bombing of civilians with barrel bombs and cluster bombs, many of which have been attributed to the Syrian government, have killed and injured 1,854 children.
The Syrian government and its main backer in the airstrikes, Russia, have denied mass airstrikes on civilians. However, even before the UN report, the UN children's fund, UNICEF, had said that the number of children killed in the fighting in Syria was higher than in previous years, and that the number of attacks on schools and hospitals had also increased.
In Yemen, at least 1,689 children have been killed and injured during ground battles and attacks by the Saudi-led coalition.
The Saudi-led coalition has faced intense criticism over the issue. The UN director of Human Rights Watch told the Associated Press that “the Saudi-led coalition has committed horrific violence against children in Yemen since 2015, and there is no sign that it is trying to improve the situation.”
But the Saudi ambassador to the United Nations told Reuters that the latest report highlighted the coalition's efforts to keep children safe in the Yemen war, and that Riyadh believes "every child's life is precious." Abdullah Moalemi, however, questioned the sources and information that led to the report, saying the figures were "exaggerated."
Reuters had previously reported that the names of the Tehran-backed Houthis were on the list, along with pro-government Yemeni militias backed by Saudi Arabia.
According to the Children in Armed Conflict report, 59 Palestinian children were killed and more than 2,750 others were injured last year. Six Israeli children were also injured during the same period.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the increasing number of injuries from tear gas inhalation during the conflicts.
In addition, the UN has also expressed concern about the increase in attacks on schools and hospitals.
Last year, at least 225 attacks on schools and aid centers were recorded in Syria, the highest number since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011. In Afghanistan, schools and aid centers have also been targeted more than 250 times.
The United Nations report on children in armed conflict has been prepared and submitted to the UN Security Council at the request of the council since 2005. Last year's figures are the worst since the report was first released.
Source: Radio Farda
