Satyarthi demands UN intervention to save children in conflict

Over 1,500 children assembled at the Raj Ghat here today for a 'peace gathering' in the wake of suspected chemical attack in Syria in which 27 children among others were killed.
Leading the congregation, Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi demanded that the United Nations Security Council set up a high-powered group to tackle violence against children in situations of conflict, refugee crises, cross-border trafficking and slavery.
He noted that children are never responsible for any wars, conflicts or violence, yet they are its worst sufferers.
"In these times of extreme unrest, it becomes our collective duty to protect the millions of children, being the most vulnerable, who get caught in the crossfire of bombs, bullets and chemical attacks.

"I strongly demand the UN Security Council to set up a high-powered group to tackle violence against children in situations of conflict, refugee crises, cross-border trafficking and slavery in a time-bound manner," the child rights activist said.
At least 86 people, including 27 children, were killed and hundreds others disabled for life in the suspected chemical weapons attack on Khan Sheikhun in Syria last week.

"This attack was far from being a standalone incident," Satyarthi said in a statement.
According to the UNICEF, an estimated 230 million children live in areas affected by armed conflicts. More than 10,000 children have been killed since the outset of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, it said.

Moreover, incidents of violence in the garb of religion, ethnicities and insurgencies have grown to alarming proportions in the last few years, he said.
The 'peace gathering' was attended by youths, religious and spiritual leades, civil society members, among others. They pledged to protect the rights of children who have lost their lives in conflict-torn areas.