Over 19,300 minors hit by the war last year were victims of serious violations including recruitment or sexual abuse, according to a report released by the UN Secretary-General´s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Prawn.

The Covid-19 pandemic made it difficult for experts to reach minors and be able to provide some help and greater protection, Prawn said.

In addition, as a result of present health crisis, minors living in armed conflicts were more exposed to kidnapping, recruitment and sexual violence.

The recruitment and use, as well as the murder and maiming of children, were the most frequent violations in 2020, followed by denial of humanitarian access and kidnapping, according to the report.

Similarly, there was an ‘exponential growth’ in kidnapping rates, increasing by 90% in 2020, while assaults and other forms of sexual violence jumped to 70%.

Attacks on schools and hospitals continued ‘excessively high’, including serious attacks on girls’ education and on health facilities and personnel.

The UN report revealed that girls made up of a quarter of all child victims, and most of them were raped, sexually abused, killed and mutilated.

pgh/Pll/jcm / ifb