Watchdog reports over 2,000 children killed or wounded in 2020

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) reported Tuesday as many as 2,019 children have been killed or injured in the conflict in 2020.

In its annual report on the children’s rights situation in 2020 in Afghanistan, released Tuesday, the AIHRC stated child casualties as a result of ongoing violence and clashes across the country have dropped to 25.1 percent compared to 2019.

AIHRC data, however, indicates a 16 percent increase in violence against children in 2020 compared to 2019.

“Physical, mental, economic, sexual, and other forms of violence have been recorded,” the organization said.

“Out of 1,391 child victims of violence, 948 are boys (68.2 percent), and 443 are girls (31.8 percent),” the report read.

“This research reflects the human rights situation of 5,318 children (3,807 boys, and 1,509 girls) from 28 provinces of the country. 19.3 percent of these children are between 7 and 11 years of age, and 80.7 percent of them are between 12 and 18 years old,” the AIHCR stated.

“In 1399 (2020), 628 (45.1 percent) of children included in the study, were victims of psychological violence, 606 (43.6 percent) were victims of physical violence, 44 (3.2 percent) victims of economic violence, and 34 (2.4 percent) were victims of sexual violence; and 79 (5.7 percent), were victims of other types of violence that are not listed under verbal-psychological, physical, economic and sexual violence.”

This comes as UNAMA in its latest report said Tuesday that civilian casualties have increased following the start of peace talks in September 2020.