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Children are Bearing the Bitter Brunt of Counter-Terrorism Efforts
Children are Bearing the Bitter Brunt of Counter-Terrorism Efforts
6/2/20
Counter-terrorism efforts adopted by governments around the world in response to threats of terrorism are affecting children negatively in numerous ways, a report by Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict (Watchlist) claimed last week.
The policy note claimed a lot of these counter-terrorism measures "lack adequate safeguards for children" and lose sight of how they're detrimental to children against the bigger picture of fighting terror threats.
It further listed six ways in which children are affected through counter-terrorism efforts by states: treatment of children alleged to have terrorist affiliations; inability of governments to maintain internationally recognised juvenile justice standards; erosion of "principle of distinction"; being huddled in the definition of "foreign terrorist fighters"; denial of access to humanitarian needs brought upon by measures such as sanctions; and the Screening, Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (SPRR) measures being loosely applied.
Children allegedly associated with terrorist organisations should be treated as victims of terrorism, not accomplices, the report read, adding that too often governments instead "criminalise" children without providing them proper support.
"Children have been tortured, subjected to ill-treatment, and unlawfully and/or arbitrarily detained on national security-related charges for their actual or alleged association with these groups," read the report.
Experts echo this sentiment.
"Children may also be vulnerable to recruitment and exploitation by these armed groups," Joe English of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) told IPS. "From north-east Nigeria to Somalia, Iraq and Syria to Yemen and beyond, children who have been recruited and exploited by armed groups in any kind of conflict are first and foremost victims whose rights have been violated."
According to a 2019 U.N. report on terrorist exploitation of the youth, children can get recruited by terrorist units for a variety of reasons, such as their location and its proximity to a terrorist group, financial instability, societal perceptions or political marginalisation, and exposure to extremist propaganda -- factors children have little control over.
"We know that armed groups use duress, coercion, manipulation and violence to force or persuade children to join them, while some children may have lived in areas controlled by these armed groups have no meaningful choice but to associate with them," says English.
That is why it's crucial that children are provided with care instead of further marginalisation if they are preyed upon by terrorist groups.
"All children in these situations, must be treated primarily as victims of human rights violations. Children affected by armed conflict should be supported with evidence-based services that aid their recovery and support their reintegration into communities," says English of UNICEF, adding that the children should instead be provided support to "reintegrate into their communities and recover."
Meanwhile, it's also important to ensure that international laws and procedures are followed in the event that children are detained.
As the Watchlist report claims, special provisions designed for children in the justice system, as dictated by International Humanitarian Law (IHL), must be followed.
English, of UNICEF, agrees. "Detention of children should only be a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible time," he says. "Children should not be investigated or prosecuted for alleged crimes committed by their family members or for association with designated terrorist groups or other armed groups. Children should be provided with psychosocial services, legal assistance and support to reintegrate into their families and communities."
While children are vulnerable to falling prey to terrorist ideology or recruiting due to a number of reasons, it's not that the population is devoid of concerns about terrorism. According to a UNICEF survey conducted across 14 countries in 2017, violence and terrorism are concerns on children's radars -- as issues that they would be impacted by as well as issues their peers will suffer from. The survey included children from the ages of 9 to 18, according to English, who shared the data with IPS.
"Children across all 14 countries surveyed were equally concerned about terrorism with 65 percent of all children surveyed worrying a lot about this issue," he said.
As such, heavy concerns remain regarding children's well-being in conflict-prone areas. There are numerous ways in which they can be affected, says English, echoing the findings of the Witness report.
"Children are disproportionately victims of armed conflict, including conflicts with armed groups that target and terrify civilians," he told IPS. "Children may be caught up in attacks themselves, or lose their parents, family members or caregivers. Their homes, schools or the hospitals and health clinics they rely on may come under attack."
Currently UNICEF operates in 14 countries providing services to children on their path out of armed forces and armed groups, says English, and working with governments to advocate for children to be identified as victims so that their families receive support to rehabilitate them.
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All comments [ 20 ]
Throughout the world hundreds of thousands of children go to sleep each night, not with their favourite teddybear or doll beside them, but with a gun.
When they close their eyes, they do not replay the happy and innocent memories of their day, but instead fight to keep from their minds the horrors they have seen that day.
There is no loving parent to tuck them in; indeed, many shudder at the sound of footsteps approaching their bed. This is the experience of child soldiers around the world.
These boys and girls are made to fight on the frontlines, forced to be suicide bombers in markets and schools.
Recruitment and use of children often results in severe physical and psychological trauma, which persist even after the conflict has ended.
This practice is also inextricably linked with other violations against children in conflict, such as abductions, sexual violence and attacks on schools.
Around the world, nearly 250 million children are living in countries affected by conflict and tens of thousands of them have been recruited and used as child soldiers.
Despite this reality, we are making progress in ending this horiffic and cruel practice, which robs children of their futures.
Despite this progress, the scale and intensity of today’s conflicts is stretching our capacity to protect children to its limits.
In war zones, such as Syria, South Sudan, Iraq and Yemen, we are witnessing a deeply troubling breakdown in humanity and a decreasing respect for human life and human dignity.
Children are being placed at the heart of conflict and directly targeted, with their homes and schools destroyed and food and water supplies deliberately cut off.
The most effective way to protect children is by preventing and resolving conflict and sustaining peace.
The international community has to find better ways to leverage influence on parties to conflict and to illustrate the enormous costs of war, both on the future of children and their communities.
When peace processes begin, we must systematically include child protection from the outset. Addressing these challenges is key to building sustainable peace.
Maintaining strong monitoring and reporting on violations against children is a prerequisite to informed action.
It is our joint responsibility to make sure that children affected by war are given a voice and a hope for a better future.
We must be more persuasive in encouraging governments, including donors, of the importance of this investment to help communities rebuild following conflict.
The childhood we envision for our own sons and daughters is often a distant dream for children growing up in war zones. However, it does not need to be so.
We have come a long way. Let us use this momentum to turn the page once and for all on the recruitment and use of children in conflict.
Children and youth will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react.
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