Catherine Russell, head of UN child rights agency, UNICEF, appealed for greater protection efforts by both the international community and the parties to the conflict, and a political solution to end the war. “Children are depending on this Council to provide solutions. We cannot and we must not let them...
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba unveiled the Secretary-General’s latest annual report, for 2022, which showed there were 27,180 grave violations overall, an increase from the previous year. The recorded violations only refer to verified information, with the likely toll much higher, and cover four categories: recruitment...
The UN chief was speaking during a debate on ensuring the security and dignity of people caught in the crossfire and addressing the related issue of access to food and essential services. Suffering and ‘outrage’ “Civilians have suffered the deadly effects of armed conflict for too long. It is time...
At the same time, UN agencies are also helping to provide emergency relief support, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), whose Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) aims at assisting refugees and third country nationals who are desperately trying to flee fighting by escaping to neighbouring countries. Sudan’s national army and...
Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, who is currently preparing her latest report, said data gathered so far reveals that trends showing high levels of violations are continuing. Nearly 24,000 grave violations were verified in 2021, the last reporting year. Most involved killing and maiming,...
In presenting the Secretary-General’s report, Virginia Gamba, highlighted current trends, patterns of grave violations, and existing and emerging challenges in “the protection of children used and abused by, in and for armed conflict”. Prolific abuses From South Sudan to Afghanistan and elsewhere, last year the UN verified 23,982 grave violations...
Impossible choices Hamstrung by funding constraints, WFP is having to prioritize assistance to ensure that vital food reaches the most vulnerable families first – often leaving refugees without support at a time where food assistance is the difference between life and death. As WFP is forced to institute ration reductions...