The United Nations has expressed concerns about Pakistani children living in areas straddling the border with Afghanistan and the resurgence of attacks on schools in the country.
A report on Children and Armed Conflict, prepared by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' office and submitted to the Security Council the other day found that from January through December 2022 in Pakistan, at least three children were killed and 17 others were hurt.
The report tracks the impact of armed conflict on children and information on violations committed.
Secretary General Guterres, in the report, said that Pakistan remains listed as a country with a situation of concern for children in armed conflict.
The report noted that 23 grave violations against 20 children were recorded in the calendar year 2022. Of these, three were boys, while the gender of the remaining 17 was unknown.
The global body added that at least three children were reportedly killed, and unidentified armed elements maimed 17.
The biggest cause of casualties was explosives, causing 15 casualties. Of these, at least nine children suffered the consequences of explosive remnants of war detonating. Another six were hurt in the detonation of improvised explosive devices as terror returned to Pakistan.
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A further five children were reportedly hurt in gun incidents.
Worryingly, the report noted that at least three attacks were reported on schools.
This included the use of an improvised explosive device - the preferred attack method of terrorists - against a girls' middle school.
However, there was a silver lining. During the tumultuous year, Pakistan endorsed a set of political commitments focused on child protection in peacekeeping, including all stages of a conflict cycle.
"I welcome the endorsement of the Vancouver Principles and the appointment of a national focal person on child protection," Guterres said.
He urged Islamabad to engage with the UN Special Representative to develop measures to protect children.
"Such engagement may lead to the removal of Pakistan as a situation of concern from my next report, should all agreed practical
measures be fully implemented," he offered.
Guterres, though, expressed concerns over incidents in the border areas with Afghanistan and about attacks against schools.
One of the areas of concern highlighted was how five child casualties were reported due to cross-border firing from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
Afghanistan situation
The UN report painted a grim picture of the situation in Afghanistan.
The report said that the UN had verified at least 1,797 grave violations against 970 children (783 boys, 187 girls) and 14 children who were victims of multiple violations.
Additionally, the report said in 2022 it verified that the Taliban had recruited and used 494 boys in the preceding years.
READ MORE: Over 1,000 Dead Since Taliban Took Over In Afghanistan: UN
It further noted that as many as 54 children (including 53 boys and a girl) were recruited and used in Afghanistan during the reporting period.
Of these, 38 were recruited and used by the Taliban, 15 by the National Resistance Front and one by unidentified perpetrators.
At least 32 children were used in combat, and the remaining 22 were used in support roles.
The UN noted that the Taliban had adopted the code of practice preventing the recruitment and use of boys without signs of puberty and consequently demobilized approximately 141 children.
"However, I reiterate my call upon the Taliban to define a child as every human being below the age of 18 years and to respect the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict," UN Secretary-General Guterres said.
During this period, the Taliban detained 69 boys for their alleged association with the National Resistance Front.
Of these, 29 were verified to have been released, but two died in custody.
READ MORE: Afghanistan After Taliban Marched In
Separately, the United Nations said it had verified the killing of 253 children and the maiming of 656 children.
Of these 909 children, 732 were boys, and 177 were girls.
Most of these casualties were inflicted by unidentified perpetrators (694).
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-KP), which has been attacking the interim Afghan Taliban government, was responsible for the casualty of 112 children.
The Taliban were verified to be responsible for the casualties of 98 children.
Like in Pakistan across the border, explosive ordnance caused the most casualty of children with 718. At least 26 children fell to targeted killings.
Apart from armed and explosive incidents, children were also subject to sexual violence, with the UN verifying at least 13 victims(including two boys and 11 girls). These sexual attacks included nine cases of rape, three of forced marriage and one of bacha bazi (a harmful practice whereby men use boys for entertainment. The boys are made to dance at parties and are often dressed in female clothes and subjected to sexual violence).
The responsibility for seven of these incidents was attributed to the Taliban, five to unidentified perpetrators and one to a former pro-government militia.
Most of the sexual incidents took place in the central (11) regions, followed by the northern (1) and southern (1) regions.
The UN also verified that 72 attacks were mounted on schools and 23 on hospitals, including attacks on protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals.
Most of these attacks, around 77, were attributed to the Taliban, 14 to unidentified perpetrators and four to ISIL-KP.
The UN also verified that the Taliban made military use of 54 schools and three hospitals.
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Most attacks involved violence against protected individuals, killing 79 people and damaging 41 facilities.
The review period also saw the abduction of eight children (seven boys and a girl). Of these, three incidents were attributed to the Taliban and five to unidentified perpetrators.
At least five children were abducted for sexual violence.
"I condemn all grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict," the secretary-general said, adding, "I am concerned by the number of children killed and maimed, including by explosive ordnance and by attacks on and the military use of schools and hospitals."
He called upon the international community to support explosive ordnance clearance and risk education.
"I appeal to all parties to the conflict to end and prevent grave violations against children and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law."
The UN, in its report, said that they verified 706 incidents where the Taliban denied humanitarian access. At the same time, unidentified perpetrators did so in 11 cases, and one case was attributed to the ISIL-KP.
The UN secretary general said that he was concerned by the increasing restrictions on humanitarian access.
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"I call upon the Taliban, and all parties, to allow and facilitate safe, timely and unimpeded humanitarian access to children. I urge the Taliban to revoke their decision to ban women from working for international and national non-governmental organizations and the United Nations."
A report on Children and Armed Conflict, prepared by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' office and submitted to the Security Council the other day found that from January through December 2022 in Pakistan, at least three children were killed and 17 others were hurt.
The report tracks the impact of armed conflict on children and information on violations committed.
Secretary General Guterres, in the report, said that Pakistan remains listed as a country with a situation of concern for children in armed conflict.
The report noted that 23 grave violations against 20 children were recorded in the calendar year 2022. Of these, three were boys, while the gender of the remaining 17 was unknown.
The global body added that at least three children were reportedly killed, and unidentified armed elements maimed 17.
The biggest cause of casualties was explosives, causing 15 casualties. Of these, at least nine children suffered the consequences of explosive remnants of war detonating. Another six were hurt in the detonation of improvised explosive devices as terror returned to Pakistan.
READ MORE: The Threat From The West
A further five children were reportedly hurt in gun incidents.
Worryingly, the report noted that at least three attacks were reported on schools.
This included the use of an improvised explosive device - the preferred attack method of terrorists - against a girls' middle school.
However, there was a silver lining. During the tumultuous year, Pakistan endorsed a set of political commitments focused on child protection in peacekeeping, including all stages of a conflict cycle.
"I welcome the endorsement of the Vancouver Principles and the appointment of a national focal person on child protection," Guterres said.
He urged Islamabad to engage with the UN Special Representative to develop measures to protect children.
"Such engagement may lead to the removal of Pakistan as a situation of concern from my next report, should all agreed practical
measures be fully implemented," he offered.
Guterres, though, expressed concerns over incidents in the border areas with Afghanistan and about attacks against schools.
One of the areas of concern highlighted was how five child casualties were reported due to cross-border firing from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
Afghanistan situation
The UN report painted a grim picture of the situation in Afghanistan.
The report said that the UN had verified at least 1,797 grave violations against 970 children (783 boys, 187 girls) and 14 children who were victims of multiple violations.
Additionally, the report said in 2022 it verified that the Taliban had recruited and used 494 boys in the preceding years.
READ MORE: Over 1,000 Dead Since Taliban Took Over In Afghanistan: UN
It further noted that as many as 54 children (including 53 boys and a girl) were recruited and used in Afghanistan during the reporting period.
Of these, 38 were recruited and used by the Taliban, 15 by the National Resistance Front and one by unidentified perpetrators.
At least 32 children were used in combat, and the remaining 22 were used in support roles.
The UN noted that the Taliban had adopted the code of practice preventing the recruitment and use of boys without signs of puberty and consequently demobilized approximately 141 children.
"However, I reiterate my call upon the Taliban to define a child as every human being below the age of 18 years and to respect the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict," UN Secretary-General Guterres said.
During this period, the Taliban detained 69 boys for their alleged association with the National Resistance Front.
Of these, 29 were verified to have been released, but two died in custody.
READ MORE: Afghanistan After Taliban Marched In
Separately, the United Nations said it had verified the killing of 253 children and the maiming of 656 children.
Of these 909 children, 732 were boys, and 177 were girls.
Most of these casualties were inflicted by unidentified perpetrators (694).
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-KP), which has been attacking the interim Afghan Taliban government, was responsible for the casualty of 112 children.
The Taliban were verified to be responsible for the casualties of 98 children.
Like in Pakistan across the border, explosive ordnance caused the most casualty of children with 718. At least 26 children fell to targeted killings.
Apart from armed and explosive incidents, children were also subject to sexual violence, with the UN verifying at least 13 victims(including two boys and 11 girls). These sexual attacks included nine cases of rape, three of forced marriage and one of bacha bazi (a harmful practice whereby men use boys for entertainment. The boys are made to dance at parties and are often dressed in female clothes and subjected to sexual violence).
The responsibility for seven of these incidents was attributed to the Taliban, five to unidentified perpetrators and one to a former pro-government militia.
Most of the sexual incidents took place in the central (11) regions, followed by the northern (1) and southern (1) regions.
The UN also verified that 72 attacks were mounted on schools and 23 on hospitals, including attacks on protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals.
Most of these attacks, around 77, were attributed to the Taliban, 14 to unidentified perpetrators and four to ISIL-KP.
The UN also verified that the Taliban made military use of 54 schools and three hospitals.
READ MORE: Afghanistan’s Girls Salvaging Hope From Diplomatic Statements
Most attacks involved violence against protected individuals, killing 79 people and damaging 41 facilities.
The review period also saw the abduction of eight children (seven boys and a girl). Of these, three incidents were attributed to the Taliban and five to unidentified perpetrators.
At least five children were abducted for sexual violence.
"I condemn all grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict," the secretary-general said, adding, "I am concerned by the number of children killed and maimed, including by explosive ordnance and by attacks on and the military use of schools and hospitals."
He called upon the international community to support explosive ordnance clearance and risk education.
"I appeal to all parties to the conflict to end and prevent grave violations against children and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law."
The UN, in its report, said that they verified 706 incidents where the Taliban denied humanitarian access. At the same time, unidentified perpetrators did so in 11 cases, and one case was attributed to the ISIL-KP.
The UN secretary general said that he was concerned by the increasing restrictions on humanitarian access.
READ MORE: Malice Towards None & All: Deadly Drug Wars & Terrorism
"I call upon the Taliban, and all parties, to allow and facilitate safe, timely and unimpeded humanitarian access to children. I urge the Taliban to revoke their decision to ban women from working for international and national non-governmental organizations and the United Nations."