Violence against children in conflict areas remained high in 2021, while there was a clear increase in sexual violence, according to a new United Nations report.
The report investigates, among other things, the recruitment of child soldiers, murders and rapes. “Kidnapping, rape and other forms of sexual violence have tragically increased by 20 percent,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a note to the report.
Ethiopia, Mozambique and Ukraine have been added this year to the list of countries where the violence is of growing concern.
Last year, the United Nations counted just under 24,000 serious violations of children’s rights, especially against boys.
While some progress has been made in countries such as Mali, Nigeria and the Philippines, severe violence against children continues to exist in others. These include Afghanistan, Congo, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
