UN human rights chief says number of children killed in armed conflicts tripled in 2023 – JURIST

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement that the number of children killed in international armed conflicts had tripled in 2023 as he presented his global situation report at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday.

The UN human rights chief began his speech by noting that the number of civilian deaths in armed conflicts increased by 72 percent in 2023, with the number of children killed tripling compared to 2022. Türk said he was “dismayed by the extent to which warring parties on many fronts have exceeded the limits of what is acceptable – and legal – with utter contempt for the other and disregard for human rights at their core.”

Volker Türk denounced that the killing of children and civilians has become an everyday practice. In his statement, he listed the numerous violations of international law by the warring parties. These included the destruction of vital infrastructure, the shooting of children, the bombing of hospitals and the use of heavy artillery against entire communities, as well as the spread of “hateful”, “divisive” and “dehumanizing” language.

Türk added that he was “appalled” by the violation of international humanitarian law and the situation of children in Gaza, where more than 3,000 serious child rights violations have been identified, according to the UN annual report on children and armed conflict. The UN human rights chief claimed that more than 120,000 people have been injured or killed by Israeli offensives, with the majority of victims being women and children. He also called for an immediate end to the “arbitrary denial and obstruction of humanitarian assistance” to Gaza, which worsens the living conditions of Palestinian children and exposes them to hunger and food shortages. Türk also pointed to the intolerable humanitarian situation of children in countries affected by armed conflict, such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso and Mali.

In addition, the UN human rights chief pointed to the $40.8 billion “gap” between humanitarian needs and available funds, which contrasts with a “sharp increase” in international military spending in 2023. Volker Türk stressed the need to put an end to the ongoing suffering of children experiencing armed conflict and war. “We urgently need to find our way back to peace, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law,” he said.

The protection of children in armed conflict is guaranteed by the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005.

Protocol I to the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits indiscriminate attacks on the civilian population and the destruction of food, water and other materials necessary for survival. Protocol II prohibits murder and cruel treatment, terrorism, hostage-taking, slavery, attacks on personal dignity, collective punishment and pillage of all people, including children. It also prohibits attacks on civilians and “objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population” such as crops, irrigation systems or sources of drinking water, cultural property and places of worship. Article 18 of the same protocol states that impartial humanitarian aid organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) must be allowed to carry out their humanitarian services.