UN report shows record numbers of children killed, maimed in conflict

Unpublished

GENEVA - A new UN report has found that 2018 was the worst year on record for children caught up in armed conflict; the year saw the highest number killed or hurt since the United Nations began monitoring the violation.

In the 20 conflict situations monitored in the 2018 edition of the Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, released Tuesday, more than 12,000 children were killed or maimed over that year.

A “disheartened” Secretary-General António Guterres said that he was “particularly appalled” by the unprecedented numbers of grave violations committed against children.

Children continued to be used in combat, particularly in Somalia, Nigeria and Syria: some 7,000 have been drawn into frontline fighting roles around the world during 2018. They also continued to be abducted, to be used in hostilities or for sexual violence: more than half of the 2,500 reported cases were in Somalia.

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