UN sees tripling of children killed in conflict in one year
(VOVWORLD) - The number of children killed in international armed conflicts tripled in 2023, says UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in a statement presented at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday.
 A child is injured by Hamas-Israel conflict in Rafah, Gaza (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
The UN human rights chief began his speech by saying the number of civilian deaths in armed conflicts increased 72 percent in 2023.
In a report to the UN Security Council on June 13, the UN verified 33,000 violations affecting 22,500 children, mostly boys, worldwide. More than 11,600 children were killed or maimed.
Mr. Volker Türk said: “I’m appalled by the disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law by parties to the conflict in Gaza. More than 120,000 people in Gaza overwhelmingly women and children have been killed or injured since 7 October.”
The UN human rights chief pointed out a gap of 40.8 billion USD between humanitarian funding needs and available resources, which contrasts with the steep increase in military expenditures in 2023.