CRINMAIL 174:
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News and Updates
More action needed to protect children in armed conflict
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Leila Zerrougui, highlighted the dire situation of children affected by armed conflict and the need for more action to protect them during an update on her mandate and ongoing work to the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. Ms. Zerrougui reminded the HRC that though many schools were about to reopen, millions of children around the world would miss this opportunity to continue their education because of conflict. She added that traditional safe havens for children are now too often on the frontline and that attacks on schools and hospitals remain of grave concern. Read Ms. Zerrougui's statement here.
Since her last report to the Human Rights Council, the UN expert noted progress had been made by some government security forces currently listed for recruitment and use of children in the Annex of the Secretary-General's Annual report on Children and Armed Conflict. So far, seven governments have adopted Action Plans, while active dialogue is ongoing with another. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has signed an action plan to end the recruitment and use of children, as well as taking measures to prevent sexual violence against children. Meanwhile, the UN has said that 500 child soldiers have been demobilized by armed groups in DRC since March.
The Transitional Government of Somalia have signed a similar action plan as well as another one to end the killing and maiming of children, the first time a Government has made such a commitment. In addition, the Government of Yemen recently approved an action plan to end the recruitment and use of children by the country’s armed forces, and there has been active dialogue between the UN and the Government of Sudan.
Meanwhile, on 16 August 2013, the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict adopted its conclusions on Myanmar. Whilst welcoming the signature by the Government of an action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in the armed forces, the Working Group urged Myanmar to take measures towards the full implementation of the action plan. This follows the recent release of 68 child soldiers by the army, following the earlier discharge of 42 children in July.
Children still paying the price in Syria
Whilst talks continue at the UN to try and find a solution to end Syria’s civil war, children continue to bear the consequences. The alleged chemical weapons attack in Damascus, that reportedly killed more than 300 civilians, including a number of children, has been described as a horrifying example of how Syrian children are paying the ultimate price in the conflict by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. More than 100,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict in Syria two years ago, including some 7,000 children. A further two million children have also been internally displaced, with UNICEF estimating that more than 4 million children in total are affected by the ongoing conflict.
At the current session of the Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, urged States to stop disagreeing and find a way forward quickly. You can follow our coverage of the HRC session here.
Sexual violence in humanitarian camps
In Somalia, women and children living in camps for internally displaced people (IDP) face the “constant threat” of rape and sexual violence, Amnesty International has warned. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis are currently living in humanitarian camps after being displaced by decades of conflict and the 2011 famine, which killed nearly 260,000 people. According to figures recorded by the UN, there were at least 1,700 cases of rape in IDP settlements in the capital Mogadishu in 2012 alone. Nearly a third of victims are children. In 70 per cent of cases, the perpetrators are reported to be armed men dressed in security forces uniforms. Those who report the violence to the police are often met with inaction and even further abuse and stigmatisation, causing some who have been attacked not to approach the police at all. Full story.
Young UK recruits more likely to die
Soldiers serving in Afghanistan who joined the Army at sixteen are twice as likely to die than those who joined at eighteen or above, according to a new report by Child Soldiers International and Forces Watch. A greater number of tours of duty in Afghanistan by soldiers who joined the Army at sixteen is cited as a probable contributing factor, as is the fact that sixteen year olds lacking educational qualifications are more likely to serve in frontline infantry than in safer specialist technical or support roles.
CRIN Users Survey reminder!
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Among other things, the survey allows you to comment on:
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information on children's rights that you struggle to find;
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To take part in the survey (which only takes 10 minutes to complete!), click here.
The deadline for completion is 30 September 2013.
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If you work with any children’s rights organisations or advocates who may not be aware of this survey, please forward this reminder to them.
Report
War Child released a 'Child Protection Alert' report in mid August to highlight the crisis affecting millions of children in the Central African Republic. A survey which they conducted found that more than 40,000 children in the capital Bangui alone have been affected by the violence that has been tearing the country apart since the end of last year. Read the report here.
Useful Contacts and Resources
{THE LAST WORD}
"When I was forced to kill another human being…that really altered me. It affected me psychologically. Seeing somebody suffer because they are being mutilated is the worst thing you can ever witness"
Grace Akallo, a former child soldier, forcibly recruited by the Lords Resistance Army in Uganda. Grace managed to escape and is now an advocate for ending the recruitment of child soldiers.
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