DEATH

3.5.
CHILDREN ASSOCIATED
WITH ARMED FORCES AND GROUPS
SEE ANNEX 5 FOR FURTHER DATA AND CASE STUDIES
ON CHILDREN ASSOCIATED WITH ARMED FORCES AND GROUPS
NATURE AND SCALE OF THE THREAT TO LIFE AND WELLBEING
The UN reports that 9,000 child
soldiers are engaged in fighting
on both side of the conflict
in the South Sudan war. 135
Children recruited into armed groups and forces are often exposed to high levels of violence,
abuse, exploitation and injury. 136 They may face sexual exploitation and violence (both girls and
boys), detention for engagement in conflict, threats to life, possible injury and exposure to explosive
remnants of war. 137 They are also deprived of education and parental care. Vulnerability
is ongoing even after release or escape, as formerly associated children may lack education or
may be rejected by their families and communities, potentially leading to secondary exploitation.
138 Children who escape from armed military groups often have long-term psychological
problems. 139 In Syria, children report awareness of their increased chance of severe or fatal
injury and death. 140
There is a clear correlation between association with armed forces and groups and sexual exploitation
and violence. Armed forces and groups use both boys and girls for sexual purposes.
Reports of sexual violence have come from a range of conflict-affected countries, including
Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Afghanistan. Children may
be forced to provide sexual services for one or more armed individuals. 141 In other instances
children, sometimes with encouragement from their families, may choose to attach themselves
to individual fighters or commanders as a self-protection strategy. It is perceived that attachment
to one individual is better than abuse and exploitation by many.
More than 4,000 cases of children associated with armed forces and groups were documented
and verified by the UN in 2013, but thousands more children are estimated to have been recruited
and used. 142 Up to 20 states have used or deployed under-18s as part of their national
armies and forces. 143 These figures do not reflect on the use and recruitment of children into
armed groups not allied with states, and the report of the UN Special Representative on Children
and Armed Conflict identifies many more armed groups that have recruited children. 144
Although many of these groups are operating in the same countries listed in the Child Soldiers
International report, there are a number of locations – namely, Lebanon, Mali, India, Pakistan,
and Nigeria – where armed groups are reported to have recruited children according to the UN
Special Representative’s report, that are not listed in the Child Soldiers International report. 145
32 A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH: CHILD PROTECTION IN EMERGENCIES