The Silent Battlefield : Unveiling the Worldwide War on Children -Md Sazzadul Islam

Modern armed conflicts exhibit a distinct trend. In addition to the large number of civilian casualties, the picture of gross negligence in security is becoming more and more visible. From the war in Ukraine or Gaza to the violence in Sudan or Myanmar, this trend prevails day by day. Another concern is that these incidents are escalating over time, bringing with them a variety of trends. In many cases, the application of the law of war is leading to its crumbling or disappearance. In this context, many people believe that deliberate targeting of civilians occurs during war or conflict. Whether or not this allegation is true, the matter remains tragic and inexcusable.

We have observed that, whatever their goals and intentions, both players in the war are becoming inhumane to children. However, the United Nations has always been vocal about stopping cruelty to children. The organization calls child abuse a term for ‘grave violations’ and marks these as one of the heinous activities towards children. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in the latest report on conflict among children that war-related violence and abuse disproportionately affect children.

Considering the words of the UN Secretary General, it’s clear that the violence occurring in various parts of the world is putting children in the worst possible situations. There are many incidents of war-torn children, such as killing and maiming, rape, sexual violence, abduction, school attacks, and the recruitment of child soldiers in a war. Such a trend naturally hurts everyone.

In 2022, the inhumane treatment of children in Myanmar will have escalated by more than 140 percent due to the civil war. Similarly, ongoing inter-communal violence is destroying the lives of children in South Sudan. The list of countries registered by the United Nations includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel-Palestine, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

When the UN drew up the above list, the Gaza war had not yet begun. In other words, because the violence in Gaza is killing children, Palestine should now be at the top of the list. The rate of child deaths in the ongoing Gaza war will undoubtedly surpass all previous records for violence against children. The whole world knows about the situation of children in Gaza.

Local Palestinian officials reported that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has claimed the lives of 11,500 Palestinians under the age of 18. Many were injured. About 24,000 children have one or both parents. Seventeen thousand children found themselves separated from their families or left unaccompanied. It is impossible not to understand how terrible these numbers are.

Yemeni children are experiencing the same devastation as Palestinian children. Many Yemeni children were among the hostages taken by rebellion groups at the time of the start of the war. Furthermore, one can easily visualize the daily routines of the hostage children, who remain under opposition control. Amidst all this, the situation is taking a tragic shape in the border region. A new disaster is about to descend in this area in the face of the forces’ operations.

The United Nations children’s fund UNICEF has expressed concern that war always has a serious impact on children’s mental health. The situation of children in Gaza is even more dire. In this situation, more than 1 million children in Gaza are in urgent need of emotional support.

The children of war-torn Gaza are going through many hardships. Common symptoms include high levels of panic and anxiety, loss of appetite, inability to sleep, etc. Most of all, when the sound of bombings reaches their ears, they fall into extreme mental instability and panic.

When war or conflict occurs in a country or region, malnutrition and disease, especially in children, occur. Diseases become the worst enemies of young children. Even under such circumstances, inhumane treatment of children constitutes a violation of international law. In particular, it is an instance of a mockery of the Geneva Conventions.

According to UNICEF, children are the first victims of all wars. The most pain and hurt come upon them. However, war also has rules.’’ In the words of UNICEF, ‘No child should be cut off from essential services during war. No child should be held hostage. We must protect hospitals or schools from bombing to ensure children’s safety. If not, the next generation will have to bear the responsibility.

Unfortunately, the warring parties do not listen to these words from UNICEF. There is no reference to relevant international law or the Geneva Conventions. Otherwise, how come the condition of children in Gaza is so dire?

We note that while there is much talk about stopping the Gaza war, the failure is more apparent in the question of a ceasefire. Meanwhile, child mortality continues to rise in Gaza. According to an estimate, a child in Gaza is passing away in every 15 minutes. More alarming news is that at least two mothers are dying every hour. How horrible is that? Do you understand?
A few months ago, an Israeli writer named Gideon Levy railed against Tel Aviv for standing up for the children of Gaza. Criticizing the Israeli army, Levy said, “This is undoubtedly a violent rampage.” It will also affect Israeli society. Israel will have to pay the price in the end.

Levy also said, “Israel is erasing future generations in Gaza.” Children are brutally killed by soldiers. Will people forget those who brutally killed children? How long will the civil society or ordinary people of the world remain silent?’

This is about the children of Gaza. The children of this region are also in extreme danger due to the ongoing war in Ukraine since 2022. Russia stands accused of illegally abducting thousands of children from Ukraine. Kiev has reported that it has received about 2 lakh child abduction complaints, with 1,200 cases registered. Despite the discussion and criticism of such allegations in Kiev in various Western media, no measures have been taken to rescue the missing children.

A couple of months ago, ‘Russia’s War on Children’ was the subject of a conference that Latvian President Edgars Ringkevics attended. “Russia is deliberately erasing the identity of Ukrainian children and causing incredible emotional and psychological damage,” he said in a speech at the conference in the capital, Riga. Putin has effectively turned child trafficking into a weapon of war, essentially trying to destroy Ukraine’s future.’

Children in Ethiopia are also facing various crises. More than 3 million children suffer from malnutrition. In a country of 126 million people, 45 percent of people are under 15 years of age. The people’s condition has deteriorated to such a deplorable extent, prompting comparisons between this crisis and the challenging circumstances of 1984. One million Ethiopians died in the famine that occurred between drought and war. The United Nations has already expressed fears that “more than 2 million Ethiopians are in dire need of food aid.” It goes without saying that the “Tigre crisis” is solely responsible for this condition of Ethiopian children.

Armed groups, terrorists, and various criminal gangs are forcibly using children for their own interests. The trend of ‘forced child military recruitment’ is on the rise worldwide. According to the United Nations, between 2005 and 2022, more than 15,000 children (boys and girls) were involved in violent conflicts. This number will increase, but from a closer look, the casualties remain unaccounted for. The number of displaced and devastated children is increasing beyond our imagination.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that child soldiers serve not only as combatants but also as guards, surveillance agents, and couriers. Most alarmingly, children are sexually exploited. Daniel Noboa, the president of Ecuador, recently brought attention to a statistic that demonstrates the use of children in crimes like murder, drug trafficking, and robbery is deliberately rocketing day by day.
Attacks on schools and hospitals using children are on the rise in Myanmar, Burkina Faso, and Mali, the United Nations said. We are also aware of the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls by Boko Haram terrorists. Despite this, we are failing to protect children. It’s shameful and tragic. End violence against children in war; otherwise, the future of this world will remain colorless, and the future of the generation will remain in a grave situation.