Children are also being recruited by armed groups and forced to fight or support militants in backup role, UNICEF said. In Burkina Faso, for instance, the number of children killed during the first nine months of 2022 tripled compared to the same period in 2021. No matter their involvement, the recruitment and use of children by armed forces is a grave violation of child rights and international humanitarian law.“The conflict may not have clear boundaries, there may not be headline-grabbing battles, but slowly and surely things have been getting worse for children, and millions of them are now caught up in the centre of this crisis,” said UNICEF spokesperson John James.Ĭhildren living on the frontlines of hostilities between armed groups and national security forces are increasingly in the line of fire, too. Still others associate themselves for survival or to protect their communities. Others are driven by poverty, compelled to generate income for their families. Some are abducted, threatened, coerced or manipulated by armed actors. Many, especially girls, are also subjected to gender-based violence.Ĭhildren become part of an armed force or group for various reasons. Warring parties use children not only as fighters, but as scouts, cooks, porters, guards, messengers and more. Often referred to as “child soldiers,” these boys and girls suffer extensive forms of exploitation and abuse that are not fully captured by that term.
Thousands of children are recruited and used in armed conflicts across the world. Between 20, more than 105,000 children were verified as recruited and used by parties to conflict, although the actual number of cases is believed to be much higher.
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