Violations against kids

UNITED NATIONS — Deteriorating security across Afghanistan the past four years led to more than 14,000 “grave violations” against children, including about 3500 youngsters killed and more than 9000 injured, according to a UN report circulated Thursday.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned “the alarming level” of grave violations committed by all parties and the fact that children “continue to bear the brunt of the armed conflict.”

Of serious concern, he said, is that the about 12,600 children verified to have been killed or injured in 2015-2018 represented almost a third of all civilian casualties.

That was “an increase of 82 per cent in child casualties compared with the previous four years,” he wrote.