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Two Million Children are Said to Have Died in Various Conflicts in Recent Years, According to the UNThe organisation monitors cases of abuse and violation of children’s rights in armed conflicts of which children become victims 07/25/06 -- Two million children have died in various conflicts in recent years, whereas millions more have been forced to flee their homes, according to the figures given by the UN. The Security Council has recently held a meeting, open to the general public, to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the adoption of the 1612 Resolution, which laid foundation to the system of monitoring and compiling data to prevent abuses and violations of which children become victims in armed conflicts. ‘’For centuries, children have been victims in conflict, and their tragedy has been largely unrecorded and unnoticed’’ as indicated by Ann Veneman, the Executive Director of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). ‘’Now, with the support of the Security Council we are finally able to monitor the true scale of the impact on children, so that we can act effectively’’, she added. She warned that for the last ten years, 2 million children have died as a direct result of wars, and highlighted the importance of making progress towards protection of children involved in armed conflicts. 250,000 Child Soldiers The Security Council has discussed new measures that can be undertaken to curb violation of children’s human rights, especially in the context of the most recent events in the Middle East. The Assistant Secretary and Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflicts, Radhika Coomaraswamy, has remarked that ‘’it is very often children that carry the heaviest burden of physical and sociological trauma in armed conflicts’’. She also recalled that since 2003 more that 14 million children have been displaced within as well as outside their countries, whereas between 8.000 and 10.000 die or become maimed by landmines every year. Abduction, sexual assault and recruitment of children as combatants are the most common examples of children’s rights violation. ‘’More than 250.000 minors are continuously exploited as child soldiers by revolutionary groups and armed forces all over the world’’. [Remaining Text Untranslated] Via EFE - Naciones Unidas & ELPAIS.es - Sociedad Unknown Author, translated from the Spanish. --Translated by Anna Wencek Go to the original article: ( categories: Other )
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