A report by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on children in Somalia estimates that more than one-third of the people who were killed and injured in fighting in 2006 were children, with violence in southern and central Somalia characterised by grave child rights violations.
In addition, he says, continued fighting in and around Mogadishu, the capital, between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and remnants of the Union of Islamic Courts forces had resulted in more casualties and violations against children in 2007.
“The recruitment and use of child soldiers by the TFG and other armed groups is a significant concern,” he says.
The report says humanitarian access in Somalia has been severely compromised, with serious implications for children. In the absence of a functioning police and judiciary, crimes against civilians, including women and children, are committed with impunity.
According to estimates, at least 1,000 people died and 4,000 more were wounded in the latest fighting. Another 365,000 were displaced. A medical source said that about 40 per cent of the wounded who made it to hospitals were children. "Most of them were school-age," he added.