The United Nations child rights body on Thursday called for investigations into all attacks on children in Syria and for bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“Children are bearing the brunt of horrific attacks in Syria,” said Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
“I urge all relevant actors to investigate these abhorrent acts and bring their perpetrators to justice, including by providing full support to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ fact-finding mission, the independent Joint Investigative Mechanism, the Syria Commission of Inquiry and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism on Syria,” Mezmur added.
Mezmur stressed that States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which include Syria, as well as other actors, have an obligation to prevent violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws and to take all possible measures to minimize the impact of the conflict in Syria on children.
Children in Syria “have been killed, maimed, subjected to sexual violence and traumatized,” he added.
About 2.4 million children have been displaced and some 280,000 are in besieged areas, according to UN figures. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
