UN official: We cannot stand idly by the atrocities committed against children in the world

This came in front of an open discussion of the UN Security Council held today, Wednesday, under the title “effective strategies to end and prevent grave violations against children”, where she reviewed the latest report by the Secretary -General of the United Nations on children and armed conflicts, which showed that the year 2024 witnessed the largest number of grave violations against children in armed conflicts for nearly 30 years.

Ghamba said: “These atrocities that are committed against children around the world – from Borno to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, from Port or Prince to Gaoka, and from Darfur to Gaza – shows the global and random nature of these grave violations.”.

She pointed out that the highest number of grave violations was documented last year in Israel and the occupied Palestinian land, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti.

Gaza children

The UN official said: “We cannot continue to stand idly by and see without any move what is happening for children globally, especially in Gaza.”. She warned that the extent of the destruction and suffering that the Gaza children bear challenge and contradict every human standard, adding: “There is no justification for depriving children of their livelihoods, including food, health care and security”.

It reported that it recently called on Israel to facilitate the passage of humanitarian relief quickly and without obstacles to the needy civilians in the Gaza Strip, as well as inviting all parties to the conflict in Gaza to accelerate the distribution of aid, because international humanitarian law, she said, applies to all parties to the conflict, and must be respected. Hamas also called for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages who are still detained in Gaza.

The need to provide sustainable resources

Ghamba talked in detail about the six grave violations that children are exposed to, which are murder, distortion, recruitment and use of children, sexual violence, kidnapping, attacks on schools and hospitals, and preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid.

She warned that in 2024, NGOs committed nearly half of the grave violations, especially killing, distortion, kidnapping, recruitment, use, and sexual violence.

But she added: “However, the government forces remained the main perpetrator in killing and distorting children, attacking schools and hospitals, and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching them. This is unacceptable.”.

She pointed to the importance of providing sustainable resources, pointing to the difficulties they faced in monitoring, verifying and reporting violations. She added: “Decreased experience in the field of child protection will lead to the inability to verify violations, and most importantly, determining their perpetrators.”.

Not leaving any child neglected

The UN official stressed that all parties to the conflict, especially the forces and armed groups listed in the report, must be invited to constructive cooperation with the United Nations to develop, sign and implement action plans, and implement them completely, to end and prevent grave violations against children.

Ghamba said: “All parties to the conflict should immediately stop the grave violations against children, complete compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law, and ensure that humanitarian aid is rapidly and safely and without obstacles to all children – regardless of age, sex, nationality or situation. An end to the deliberate targeting and military use of schools, hospitals, basic infrastructure of water and sanitation must be placed..

She called for investing in long -term and comprehensive reintegration programs, including sexual violence survivors, disabilities, and those belonging to marginalized, displaced, migratory and refugee societies.

She concluded her speech by saying: Let us ensure that no child is leaving again in conflicts, and to ensure that the children of the world are not used and their treatment again in armed conflicts, or for them, or for them. “.