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STORY: UN / CHILDREN ARMED CONFLICT
TRT: 02:47
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 JULY 2022, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
11 JULY 2022, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, press conference
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict:
“Despite some progress, children have continued to suffer the consequences of man-made conflict in 2021, pointing to the need to redouble efforts to engage and ensure that we have the resources and support to continue to monitor and report grave violations, provide capacity-building, pursue accountability, and prevent all grave violations against children.”
4. Wide shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict:
“Grave violations against children are intrinsically linked to unfolding conflicts around the world. Armed conflict has a devastating impact on the vulnerable and the weak, leaving children disproportionately affected by it. And last year was really no different.”
6. Wide shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict:
“Considering that almost 40 percent of all killing and maiming cases of children are caused by explosive remnants of war, anti-personnel landmines, and improvised explosive devices, it is critical for parties to take responsibility and refrain from the use, while post-conflict reconstruction processes should also prioritize clearing these weapons, which contaminate land and structures, stop reestablishment of communities, and continue to cause unacceptable and disproportionate harm to children for dozens of years after the end of conflict.”
8. Wide shot, press conference
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict:
“In those countries, where there is active, very extreme groups operating such as Boko Haram and the splinter groups, the West Africa ISIL, the emerging East Africa ISIL. These groups that were not so organized in the past, are more organized now. And they, without a doubt, target girls. They target the abduction of girls, and they target basically, the rape and sexual violence, as a produce of that.”
10. Wide shot, journalists
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict:
“Coming out of Ukraine, we've seen the prevalence of two types of information affecting children that are the most concerning. One is attacks on schools and hospitals. I think by far that possibly would be the biggest concern at this point, with information that led to this situation of concern being decided upon. And the other one is killing and maiming of children.”
12. Wide shot, press conference
Presenting the latest edition of the annual UN report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, today (11 Jul)said, “despite some progress, children have continued to suffer the consequences of man-made conflict in 2021.”
Gamba told journalists in New York that “grave violations against children are intrinsically linked to unfolding conflicts around the world” and have” a devastating impact on the vulnerable and the weak, leaving children disproportionately affected by it.”
She said, “last year was really no different.”
The UN official said, “considering that almost 40 percent of all killing and maiming cases of children are caused by explosive remnants of war, anti-personnel landmines, and improvised explosive devices, it is critical for parties to take responsibility and refrain from the use, while post-conflict reconstruction processes should also prioritize clearing these weapons, which contaminate land and structures, stop reestablishment of communities, and continue to cause unacceptable and disproportionate harm to children for dozens of years after the end of conflict.”
Gamba expressed concern about countries, where “very extreme groups” such as Boko Haram and its splinter groups, operate. She said, “these groups that were not so organized in the past, are more organized now. And they, without a doubt, target girls. They target the abduction of girls, and they target basically, the rape and sexual violence, as a produce of that.”
The report details the impact that various forms of conflict had on children around the world in 2021.It does not include the conflict in Ukraine.
Commenting on preliminary reports, the Special Representative said, “coming out of Ukraine, we've seen the prevalence of two types of information affecting children that are the most concerning. One, is attacks on schools and hospitals. I think by far that possibly would be the biggest concern at this point, with information that led to this situation of concern being decided upon. And the other one is killing and maiming of children.”
The dangers outlined in the report range from conflict escalation, military coups, and takeovers, protracted and new conflicts, as well as violations of international law. Cross-border conflict and intercommunal violence also impacted the protection of children, especially in the Lake Chad Basin and Central Sahel regions.
The report highlights almost 24,000 verified grave violations against children, an average of some 65 violations every day. The killing and maiming of children was the most verified grave violation followed by the recruitment and use of children and the denial of humanitarian access.
The places where most children were affected by grave violations in 2021 were Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
Attacks on schools and hospitals also showed an increase, which were compounded by the pandemic. More than 2,800 children were detained for their actual or alleged association with parties to conflict, making them particularly vulnerable to torture, sexual violence, and other abuses.
Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Ukraine, have been added to the Secretary-General Annual Report as situations of concern, reflecting the dramatic impact of hostilities on children in these areas.
In addition, the Secretary-General requested enhanced monitoring of violations against children in the Central Sahel Region, similar to his request for the Lake Chad Basin region in 2020.
