The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that armed groups in Somalia have abducted, recruited, and used 6,843 children since 2016.
UNICEF provided this update on January 19.
According to the UNICEF report, the trend is likely to increase by as much as 300 percent, as it has done over the last five years.
UNICEF condemned this as a “grave violation of the rights of children” in Somalia.
For decades, Somalia has been defined by violence, political instability, and insecurity.
Militant groups such as Al-Shabaab and ISIS continue to wreak havoc in the East African nation through terrorism.
Most of them recruit children as soldiers.
UNICEF issued this report during the 25th Anniversary of the Children and Armed Conflict Mandate.
