UN: ’Daesh’ Abuses Iraqi Children, Uses Them as Suicide Bombers

Local Editor

Up to 700 children have been killed, mutilated, or used as suicide bombers in Iraq since the beginning of the year, UN envoy Leila Zerrougui said while briefing the Security Council on violations of children's rights in armed conflicts worldwide.

"The images that we see through media reporting of indiscriminate and brutal killings of civilians, including children, are leaving us speechless and horrified," said Zerrougui, the secretary-general's special representative for children and armed conflict, during a debate at the Security Council on Monday.

She further said: "Although the highly unstable security situation in the region slows our monitoring, we know that up to 700 children have been killed or maimed in Iraq since the beginning of the year, including in summary executions. I remain deeply concerned over recent reports of "ISIL" targeting minorities, including children and women, in the growing area under their control in Syria and Iraq."

The Daesh group has ordered boys as young as 13 years old to carry weapons, guard strategic locations, or arrest civilians, and has used other children as suicide bombers, the UN envoy added.

Other reports received by Zerrougui's office suggest that militias allied to the Iraqi government have used children in the fight against the ISIL extremists. She added that the whereabouts of numerous children jailed on security charges by the Iraqi government remain unknown after militias stormed the facilities where they were held in July.

However, Zerrougui did inform the Security Council that some progress has been made around the world when it comes to protecting children in armed conflict. She mentioned Chad - which ended the recruitment of child soldiers - and Yemen, which signed a plan with the UN to prevent the recruitment of children in its armed forces.

The UN envoy did, however, stress that those gains have been overshadowed by the scale of violence against children in new crises - the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria and the conflicts in Libya, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Mali, and South Sudan.

She especially touched upon the current situation in Gaza, where more than 500 children were martyred during the recent "Israeli" aggression. Up to 3,100 children were wounded in the attack. Moreover, about one-third of the injured children have become permanently disabled.

"The events in Gaza must be thoroughly investigated and identified perpetrators from all parties to the conflict must be held accountable. I cannot stress enough the urgent need to work towards a lasting peace. A ceasefire is only a temporary measure and we have been here before. The international community must put its weight behind addressing the root causes of this conflict," Zerrougui told the Security Council
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Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team