The Notorious Use of Child Soldiers

      Thousands of children are serving as soldiers in armed conflicts around the world. These boys and girls, some as young as 8 years old, serve in government forces and armed opposition groups. They may fight on the front lines, participate in suicide missions, and act as spies, messengers, or lookouts. Girls may be forced into sexual slavery. Many are abducted or recruited by force, while others join out of desperation, believing that armed groups offer their best chance for survival. 

      In 14 countries around the world, according to the United Nations, children are recruited and used in armed conflicts as informants, guards, porters, cooks, and often, as front-line armed combatants. In Yemen, where UNICEF has estimated that one-third of all fighters are under 18, all sides to the ongoing conflict, including the government, use child soldiers. The numbers are devastating.

      I am absolutely against the military use of children. These child soldiers are exploited of their basic human rights, including education, safety, and even survival. The armed forces who adopt child soldiers are committing a huge crime against humanity. Children are particularly vulnerable to recruitment if they are poor, separated from their families, displaced from their homes, living in a combat zone or have limited access to education. As we always say, children are the future of human beings. However, if we cannot protect our children from exploitation, where will our future lie? What’s more important is the aftermath of a war. Once a conflict ends, child soldiers should have just as much right as adults to be reintegrated into communities. Society owes them a chance to contribute to peaceful transition and build their lives. 

https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/09/28/us-must-get-tough-over-child-soldiers