UN report: Taliban, armed groups killed thousands of Afghanistan children in two years

A United Nations report says 5,770 Afghanistan children were killed or maimed between January 2019 and December 2020.

The report was issued on Monday, 24 hours after the Taliban took control of the country.

According to the report, armed groups, particularly the Taliban, were responsible for 46 percent of the incidents, with government and pro-government forces accounting for 35 percent, followed by landmines and explosive remnants of war.

The UN also said nearly half of the 6,470 grave violations against children during the reporting period were attributed to the Taliban.

Virginia Gamba, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for children and armed conflict, said Afghanistan continues to be one of the most dangerous places to be a child.

“I am appalled by the continuing and rising high levels of violence endured by children in Afghanistan, including those caught up in combat,” she said.

“As the already dramatic situation continues to evolve rapidly and concerning reports of human rights violations keep arising, I call for all abuses to stop.

“I urge the Taliban and all other parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as by national commitments and protect the lives and rights of all people, including those of women and girls.

“With figures already alarmingly high and the Taliban identified in the report as a major perpetrator of violence against children, the future of children, especially girls in Afghanistan is dark.”

According to Gamba, deliberate Taliban attacks on girls’ schools remain “a worrisome trend”.

She appealed to the group, and all other parties to the conflict, to respect human rights, including the right to education for girls.