A United Nations official on Friday demanded immediate safeguards for children caught in war zones where systematic trafficking continues despite global awareness of the crisis. Special Rapporteur Siobhan Mullally told the General Assembly that governments routinely ignore credible documentation showing traffickers exploit minors for combat roles, forced labor, illegal adoptions, sexual abuse, and arranged marriages. Her findings reveal child labor rates in conflict areas triple the global average, while authorities frequently jail rather than protect young survivors linked to militant organizations.
Mullally cited alleged rushed adoptions and forced child transfers in Ukraine alongside recruitment by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces as troubling patterns. She urged nations to implement age-appropriate justice systems and establish early detection programs that can quickly identify vulnerable minors. The rapporteur also called for prioritizing rehabilitation and family reunification for children associated with armed factions. Geneva Convention protocols bar parties from evacuating foreign children except for medical emergencies with parental approval. A separate action plan released in July by UNICEF outlined similar protective strategies for at-risk youth in combat situations.
Mullally cited alleged rushed adoptions and forced child transfers in Ukraine alongside recruitment by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces as troubling patterns. She urged nations to implement age-appropriate justice systems and establish early detection programs that can quickly identify vulnerable minors. The rapporteur also called for prioritizing rehabilitation and family reunification for children associated with armed factions. Geneva Convention protocols bar parties from evacuating foreign children except for medical emergencies with parental approval. A separate action plan released in July by UNICEF outlined similar protective strategies for at-risk youth in combat situations.
