The UN General Assembly announced that every year, on June 4, International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression will be observed. Soon after, the United Nations expanded its scope to work for the rights of children all over the world.
According to UNICEF, there have been 315000 grave violations reported against children in war zones around the world from 2005 to 2022. This is a staggering number, and it is likely that this is just a fraction of actual figures. Recent war between Russia and Ukraine and Taliban taking over Afghanistan has surely impacted the same.
Breaking down this number, UNICEF identified these violations:
- Over 120,000 children were killed or maimed.
- At least 105,000 children were forcibly recruited by armed forces or groups.
- More than 32,500 children were abducted.
- Over 16,000 children suffered sexual violence.
“Every day, children living in wars across the globe are facing unspeakable horrors. They are not safe sleeping in their homes or playing outside, learning in school or seeking medical care at hospitals. From killing and maiming, abduction and sexual violence, to attacks on education and health facilities, and the denial of the humanitarian assistance that they desperately need, children are being caught in the crosshairs of warring parties at a staggering scale,” wrote the United Nations on their official website.
On August 19, 1982, the UN General Assembly’s special session focused on the plight that Palestinian and Lebanese children faced due to Israeli aggression during the Lebanon war. The assembly further pledged to protect the rights of the children in Lebanon.
The assembly specifically condemned the suffering of these children. The event marked a turning point globally for raising awareness about the vulnerability of children in war zones and the establishment of the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression observed on June 4.
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