LAGOS, 17 February 2021– , “UNICEF is aware of reports that overnight, armed men attacked the Government Science College in Kagara, in Niger State, Nigeria. According to unconfirmed reports, many students are unaccounted for, though it is not yet clear how many. “UNICEF condemns in the strongest possible terms any attack on a school and calls for the immediate and…, #####

“I had no desire to survive because I had lost everything. I thought I would become crazy…” The voice of Ishmael Beah still trembles when he recalls the horror of being a child in the midst of one of the deadliest modern-day armed conflicts. Beah has told the story of his life many times and in many countries. To some of the most influential…

YANGON 14 October 2020, – “On 5 October, two boys were killed in Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, in crossfire between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army. This occurred after the children, as part of a group of 15 local farmers, were alleged to all have been forced to walk in front of a Tatmadaw unit to ensure the path towards a military camp was clear of landmines and…, ABOUT THE UN COUNTRY TASKFORCE ON MONITORING AND REPORTING (CTFMR) ON GRAVE VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN , United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1612 mandates the UN to establish UN-led CTFMRs in countries where there is verified evidence that Grave Violations against children are being committed by parties to a conflict, either by armed forces and/or by armed groups. The CTFMR is tasked with establishing a Monitoring and Reporting…

JUBA, 26 FEBRUARY 2020, – Today, 15 children associated with armed forces and armed groups were released in South Sudan, UNICEF said. The boys ranging from 16 to 18 years of age were taken as prisoners of war during clashes in the northern parts of the country in 2019. Today marked the end of their imprisonment, their time in an armed group and the start of a new life.…

JUBA/NEW YORK, 12 February 2020, – Critical programmes providing support for children released from armed forces and groups in South Sudan may be forced to end next month if urgently needed funds are not provided, UNICEF warned today. 900 children are already registered for release, but without urgent new funding, UNICEF will not be able to provide support as they transition to…

LEER, South Sudan, 24 July 2019,  - Yesterday, 32 children were released from armed opposition groups in Leer county, in northern South Sudan. This is the first formal release in former Unity State, one of the areas hardest hit by the conflict. The children are all boys aged between 13 and 17.   The children were formally separated from the armed group during a ceremony in Leer,…

From widespread killing, maiming, abduction and sexual violence to recruitment into armed groups and strikes on schools and hospitals, as well as essential water facilities – children living in conflict zones around the world continue to come under attack at a shocking scale. Today, one in four children live in a country affected by conflict or…, six grave violations against children in times of war, , which were monitored in 20 conflict-affected countries around the world in 2017. 1. Killing and maiming of children Since 2010, the number of UN-verified cases of children being killed and maimed has increased significantly. In 2017 alone, the UN verified more than 10,000 cases of children who were killed or maimed in conflict. Maiming includes…,  , Millions of children and women around the globe live with the terrifying threat of sexual violence in conflict every day. In times of war, they are subjected to rape, sexual slavery or trafficking, forced marriage/pregnancy, or enforced sterilization. In some cases, sexual violence is used to intentionally humiliate a population or to force people…

A boy was rescued by aid workers after being forced to fight with an armed group in South Sudan. Then the search for his family began., BENTIU, South Sudan –, The boy* felt almost safe. His uniform of the last three years had been replaced by jeans and a bright orange football shirt. He stepped off the helicopter and took in the commotion at the airstrip, overwhelmed. The boy was rescued by aid workers from a military outpost last year, and was placed in the care of UNICEF protection officer Franka…

More than 200 children released on Tuesday, nearly 1,000 more to be released this month

MAIDUGURI/DAKAR/NEW YORK/GENEVA 15 September 2017 –, The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, and UNICEF in Nigeria welcome today’s signing by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, of an Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children. The CJTF, a local group formed in 2013 to support…, Notes to editors:, The UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict lists parties to conflict who commit grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict, including recruitment and use of children. UN Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004), 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015) on Children and Armed Conflict…, For more information, please contact:, Harriet Dwyer, UNICEF Maiduguri, +234 906 222 2215 or +234 803 659 1164, hdwyer@unicef.org Doune Porter, UNICEF Abuja, Tel: +234 803 525 0273, dporter@unicef.org Thierry Delvigne-Jean, UNICEF Regional Office in Dakar, +221 77 819 2300, tdelvignejean@unicef.org   Marixie Mercado, UNICEF Geneva, +41 79 559 71 72, mmercado@unicef.org Fabienne Vinet,…