Syrian conflict has ‘erased’ children’s dreams: new UN report

Syrian conflict has ‘erased’ children’s dreams: new UN report

Jan 19 2020

ARK News: Nearly nine years of conflict in Syria have robbed boys and girls of their childhood and subjected them to “unabated violations of their rights”, including being killed, maimed, displaced, forced to fight or subjected to torture, rape and sexual slavery.

The findings come in the latest report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, released on Thursday.

“I am appalled by the flagrant disregard for the laws of war and the Convention on the Rights of the Child by all parties involved in the conflict”, said Commission chair Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro.

“While the Government of the Syrian regime has the primary responsibility for the protection of boys and girls in the country, all of the actors in this conflict must do more to protect children and preserve the country’s future generation.”

The three-member Commission was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate and record all violations of international law related to the Syrian conflict, which began in March 2011.

The Commission said the use of cluster munitions, so-called thermo baric bombs and chemical weapons by pro-Government forces, have caused scores of child casualties.

Women and girls are “disproportionately affected” by sexual violence, and the threat of rape has led to restrictions in their movements. Girls have been confined to their homes, removed from school or faced obstacles to access health care.

Meanwhile, boys, particularly those 12 and over, have been arrested and kept in detention facilities, and targeted for recruitment by armed groups and militia.

The war has also had an impact on access to education, with more than 2.1 million children not regularly attending classes of any form.

“Urgent efforts are required by the Syrian Government to support as many children as possible to return to education. Armed groups holding territory also need to act with haste to facilitate access to education,” said Karen Abu Zayd, one of the commissioners.

The report also expresses concern over the severe impact the conflict has had on children’s long-term physical and mental health.

Large numbers of young Syrians now have disabilities as well as devastating psychological and development issues. Additionally, fighting has displaced some five million children.

As the mother in Idlib stated: “They have erased the dreams of my children. They have destroyed what we have built during our whole life; my daughter was so depressed when she found out that our house was burnt down. My other child, a three-year-old boy, is traumatized by the crisis. He is continuously drawing tanks.”

The Commission members called on all sides to “commit in writing” to granting children special protection during wartime, in line with international law.

They stressed that displaced children also require protection, which includes the obligation to repatriate children with family ties to ISIS extremist fighters.

“States have well defined obligations to protect children, including from statelessness. Failing to abide by such fundamental principles would be a clear derogation of duty,” said Commissioner Hanny Megally.

Source: UN News

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