Shocking’ escalation of grave violations against children in Afghanistan: UNICEF

"The atrocities turn higher by the day,” warned UNICEF Afghanistan Representative Hervé Ludovic De Lys, in a statement. "All of them are children whose close to protection, nether planetary humanitarian law, has been disregarded by warring parties.”

‘People person suffered enough’ 

Newly appointed UN Humanitarian Affairs main and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, joined the condemnation of attacks against civilians successful Afghanistan by UN main António Guterres and members of the Security Council.

In a statement, Mr Griffiths said “fighting crossed the country, which has claimed the lives of implicit 40,000 radical since 2009 erstwhile UN reporting began, needs to stop. People person suffered enough.”

More than 1,000 radical person been killed oregon injured owed to indiscriminate attacks against civilians successful Hilmand, Kandahar and Hirat provinces successful the past period alone.

In conscionable the past 72 hours reported UNICEF, 20 children were killed and 130 children injured successful Kandahar province; 2 children were killed with 3 injured successful Khost province; and successful Paktia province, 5 were killed and a further 3 were injured.

On Friday Special Representative Deborah Lyons, caput of the UN Assistance Mission successful Afghanistan (UNAMA) warned that the warfare successful Afghanistan is present successful “a new, deadlier, and much destructive phase”, and appealed for the Security Council to enactment to avert a catastrophe.

Ahead of talks successful Qatar adjacent week, and the Council’s adjacent gathering connected Afghanistan successful September, Ms. Lyons urged ambassadors to prehend the accidental to code the deteriorating concern successful the country. 

Humanitarian access

Mr Griffiths reminded each parties to the struggle of their obligations nether planetary humanitarian and quality rights law, including their work to support civilians.

He highlighted the request to guarantee entree for humanitarian organizations to scope radical successful need. Humanitarian organizations are committed to enactment and present alleviation and assistance to each civilians, helium said, but they request unimpeded entree and assurances that assistance workers and work providers tin present assistance and services without interference. A safe, secure, and sustainable aboriginal successful Afghanistan tin lone beryllium achieved done palmy bid negotiations, helium said.

© UNICEF Afghanistan

A five-year-old lad holds his younger member successful a displaced persons campy successful Kandahar, confederate Afghanistan.

‘Deeply traumatized’

Mr De Lys said the atrocities are besides grounds of “the brutal quality and standard of unit successful Afghanistan which preys connected already susceptible children.” The UNICEF spokesperson said helium was besides “deeply concerned” astir reports that children are progressively being recruited into the struggle successful Afghanistan by equipped groups.

Many different boys and girls are “deeply traumatized” aft witnessing atrocities committed against their families and others successful their communities, helium added.

Only a “complete extremity of hostilities tin support Afghanistan’s children, helium said, calling on “all those engaged successful mediation efforts to uphold the warring parties to their planetary obligations to children."