report in Khaama Press online, Dec 23, 2023
The United Nations reports that despite a decrease in conflicts in Afghanistan, children remain in an extremely vulnerable situation.
The organization has called on the Taliban to recognize individuals under 18 years old as children and prevent their recruitment into security forces.
The United Nations in a report released on Friday, has stated that over two years, from the beginning of 2021 to the end of 2022, a total of 4,519 cases of violence against 3,545 children ranging from a few months to 17 years old have been reported in Afghanistan. The findings indicate that the Taliban are the main perpetrators of these violations.
The United Nations states that the Taliban does not accept the international definition of a child as someone under 18 years old and considers a child to be someone who does not show signs of puberty.
Virginia Gamba, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, says that despite some actions by the Taliban, including the issuance of a decree prohibiting the recruitment of children, the group has not yet made child protection a part of its governance agenda.
After regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban announced it would dismiss underage individuals from its ranks.
The United Nations says that the absence of a child protection mechanism has led to the deprivation of their freedom due to national security-related charges and alleged or actual affiliations with opposition forces or groups.
Ms. Gamba urged the Taliban to focus on child-related issues, advocating for protective measures and recognizing anyone under 18 as children to deter their military recruitment.
Highlighting the dire need for funding, the UN report identifies Afghan children as frequent victims of landmine incidents, lacking crucial support in the aftermath.
The report calls for global support to eliminate explosive threats, emphasizing the critical need for education on munition dangers and increased investment in children’s safety and rights. https://www.khaama.com/un-urges-taliban-to-halt-child-recruitment-in-security-forces/
