The United Nations, in a report, voiced concerns over the precarious conditions faced by Afghan children, attributing it to the lack of access to crucial services and their escalating vulnerability. The organization emphasized that the absence of fundamental services puts Afghan children at significant risk. The report cited prolonged conflicts, displacement, severe poverty, food insecurity, limited economic opportunities, natural calamities, and inadequate investment in public services as factors seriously infringing upon the rights of children in Afghanistan. The organization identified child labor, sexual exploitation, high dropout rates, and migration as severe violations of children’s rights. Specifically, the report underscored that the Taliban’s prohibition on girls’ education exposes many girls to egregious forms of violence, including honor killings, underage marriages, and heightened instances of family violence. Designated violators of children’s rights in Afghanistan include Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the Taliban, especially the Haqqani network, and the ISIS Khorasan (IS-K), due to their involvement in recruiting, exploiting, and killing children.
The United Nations, in its recent report on the situation of children in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, has expressed concern. The organization stated that despite a significant reduction in violations, children remain vulnerable.
According to the United Nations report, prolonged wars, extreme poverty, and sexual exploitation of children have hindered their access to essential services. The organization highlighted that displacement, food insecurity, lack of livelihood opportunities, lack of investment in public services, natural disasters, and increased vulnerability of children to severe violations seriously violate their rights.
The report states, “Millions of girls are still prohibited from going to school. This, coupled with harmful social norms and traditional practices, has exposed many girls to severe violence and abusive behaviors such as honor killings, underage marriages, family violence, and sexual exploitation.”
The United Nations, in its report, has added that children have been employed, subjected to sexual harassment, forced to drop out of school, and compelled to undertake unsafe migrations. According to the organization, the educational ban on girls has influenced them, leading to risky choices.
Virginia Gamba, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, stated, “The governing authorities [Taliban] must reopen schools for all girls beyond the sixth grade and lift the suspension of secondary education for girls and women’s access to higher education.”
The UN report indicates that from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, the rights of 3,545 children in Afghanistan, aged from a few months to 17 years, have been seriously violated. According to the report, 5,519 cases of child killings have been documented, with the majority of violations against children attributed to the Taliban.
In the report, it continues as, 3,248 cases of murder and injury, 749 cases of hindrance to access humanitarian aid and services, 257 cases of child employment and exploitation, 211 attacks on schools and hospitals, 33 cases of abduction, and 21 cases of child sexual violence have been recorded.
The United Nations, in its report, added that murder and child rights violations are the most common offenses, resulting in a significant increase in deprivation of humanitarian access during the reporting period. The prohibition on Afghan women’s employment in national and international non-governmental organizations has led to widespread violations of children’s rights.
The report notes that the lack of budget for demining activities and the cancellation of aid for demining coordination authorities have increased child casualties and massacres, raising serious concerns.
The United Nations has stated that the risk of explosions exists throughout Afghanistan, and victims continue to face difficulties in accessing vital health, financial, psychological, and social assistance. The organization has called on the global community to increase education on the dangers of explosive devices in Afghanistan.
In the UN report, it is further mentioned that the number of children recruited and subjected to sexual exploitation remains high. According to the report, this trend has intensified since the Taliban denied the international definition of a child, which states individuals under the age of 18. According to the United Nations, the Taliban consider a child to be someone who does not show signs of maturity.
The UN report explicitly states that the Taliban’s refusal to accept the global definition of a child leads to the deprivation of children’s freedom, accusations of security disruption, and dependence on groups opposing the Taliban.
The United Nations added that this report is based on Security Council Resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent resolutions. According to the United Nations, this is the sixth report by the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Afghanistan, covering six grave violations against children, including the recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming of children, sexual violence and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks on schools, hospitals, and protected places, abduction of children, and hindrance of humanitarian access.
The report states that it reviews the trend of these six severe violations against children in Afghanistan, indicating the areas where violations occur, identifying possible perpetrators, and highlighting the challenges faced by children in conflict situations whenever possible.
According to the A section of this report, some political parties have also failed to take protective actions against children during the preparation of the report. The Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, remains on the list of violators of children’s rights due to the recruitment and use of children, as well as killing and maiming them.
The ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) is also listed for employing and exploiting children, attacking educational and health facilities, and killing and maiming children. Additionally, Taliban forces and affiliated groups, including the Haqqani network, remain on the list of violators of children’s rights.
The United Nations report states that the Special Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism led by the Joint Secretariat of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have documented and verified the information included in this report.
The United Nations, in this report, states that where possible, parties involved in the conflict responsible for severe violations against children are identified. The report highlights areas of action to strengthen support for children and prevent further violations, including making recommendations to the parties involved.
It is worth mentioning that earlier, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also stated that in the coming year, one in three children in Afghanistan will face hunger, and over 7 million children will experience severe food insecurity. As of the publication of this report, the Taliban have not provided any response.