Carelessness, school, stupidity, playtime… So many banal things, supposed to fill the daily lives of millions of children around the world. But for others who find themselves trapped in conflict zones, these are concepts as distant and inaccessible as the Moon with a succession of incredible horrors.
Whether they sleep at home, play outside, study at school or seek care in hospital, they are never safe. Murders, mutilations, kidnappings, sexual violence, attacks on educational and health establishments, refusal to grant access to the humanitarian aid they desperately need… The number of children finding themselves in the crosshairs of warring parties has reached alarming levels.
As the world celebrates the International Day of Innocent Child Victims of Attack on June 4, the opportunity has come to shine the spotlight on the suffering of children in conflict zones.
Read also: Health: Night terrors, these ordeals that disrupt children’s nights
Already on August 19, 1982, during its emergency extraordinary session on the Palestinian question, the United Nations General Assembly, “ dismayed by the large number of innocent Palestinian and Lebanese children victims of Israeli acts of aggression“, had decided to celebrate the International Day of Innocent Child Victims of Aggression on June 4 of each year.
UNICEF, the UN organization, constantly repeats: “ No child should be deprived of access to essential services or be beyond the reach of humanitarian aid. No child should be taken hostage or used in any way in armed conflict. Hospitals and schools must be protected from bombing, and not used for military purposes, under international humanitarian law“.
Every year, the United Nations reports an increase in the number of grave violations committed against children in armed conflict. Behind these figures lie boys and girls who are subjected to the worst mistreatment.
In 2023, communities around the world have seen the rights of their children violated. Many of the estimated 450 million children living in or fleeing conflict-affected areas have suffered incredibly from these attacks, the UN says.
Faced with the increase in grave violations committed against children around the world, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, launched a global campaign aimed at raising awareness and supporting actions taken to protect children affected by war by strengthening collaboration between the UN, civil society and the international community.
Under the hashtag #ActToProtect, the UN urges the international community to support the implementation of action plans already signed between the UN and parties to a conflict to stop and prevent serious violations against children.
It is also about convincing new parties to a conflict to commit to new action plans to put an end to serious violations committed against children and to work towards the universal ratification and application of the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, concerning the involvement of children in armed conflict.
With MAP
