(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, Oct 31 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on parties to all conflicts to work with the UN to guarantee safety of children in war zones.
Guterres, addressing a Security Council session over children and armed conflicts, said children around the globe were suffering from violations committed during conflicts, while armed groups were forcing children to carry out suicide attacks.
He said children were bearing criminal responsibility for acts they were forced to execute.
He added that parties to conflict were mostly preventing delivery of aid that wouls save children lives.
Guterres said the number of recruitment of children was on the rise in Syria and Somalia, while sexual assaults on children were spreading in Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and South Sudan.
The UN chief said there were 8,000 children killed in armed conflicts in 2016.
Virginia Gamba, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, called on Security Council members to add children protection to mandate of the UN peacekeepers.
She said Guterres' report on children and armed conflicts, documented more than 14,500 violations against children around the globe. (end) asf.bs
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