The United Nations on Monday said it will start monitoring the war in Ukraine for violations against children, including killings, injuries, recruitment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his annual report to the Security Council on children and armed conflicts in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Africa’s central Sahel region have been added to 21 conflicts that the UN already is monitoring for violations of the rights of children . He said the latter conflicts saw “a high number of serious violations” in 2021.
The UN chief said the protection of children was severely affected by escalating conflicts, the multiplication of armed groups, land mines and improvised explosive devices, explosive weapons in populated areas, intensified humanitarian crises, and violations of humanitarian and human rights law.
Virginia Gamba, the UN special envoy for children and armed conflict, said at a news conference that “forays of extremely violent armed groups, military coups and instability, and violent electoral processes in fragile states, left 19,100 child victims of serious violations during 2021 in the 21 country and regional situations we monitored.”
Latest developments
►Nord Stream 1, which supplies Russian gas to Europe, will be shut down for routine maintenance from Monday until July 21, according to its website. Klaus Mueller, chief of Germany’s energy regulator, told CNBC last week: “We cannot rule out the possibility that gas transport will not be resumed afterward for political reasons.”
White House: Iran to supply Russia with hundreds of drones
The Biden administration said Monday that the Iran government is preparing to provide Russia with “several hundred” drones, including some with military capability, as Russia continues its offensive in eastern Ukraine.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said intelligence indicates that Iran could train Russian forces on the drones – also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs – as soon as this month.
“It’s unclear whether Iran has delivered any of these UAVs already,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan, appearing at a White House press briefing, brought up Russia’s reliance on Iran for military equipment as an example of how Russia’s fighting in eastern Ukraine is “coming at a cost to the sustainment of its own weapons.”
Sullivan, appearing at a White House press briefing, brought up Russia’s reliance on Iran for military equipment as an example of how Russia’s fighting in eastern Ukraine is “coming at a cost to the sustainment of its own weapons.”
The White House’s disclosure of potential Iran-Russia cooperation comes as President Joe Biden heads to the Middle East on Tuesday — with visits lined up in Israel and Saudi Arabia — in which Iran’s nuclear program will be among topics of discussion.
—Joey Garrison
Contributing: The Associated Press
www.usatoday.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism