UN calls on Taliban to stop children’s recruitment in security forces

The United Nations (UN) has called on the Taliban to recognise individuals under 18 years of age as children and prevent their recruitment into security forces, Khaama Press reported.
The UN has said that Afghan children remain in an extremely vulnerable situation.
In a report released on Friday, the UN stated that over two years, from the beginning of 2021 to the end of 2022, a total of 4,519 cases of violence against 3,545 children ranging from a few months to 17 years old have been reported in Afghanistan. The findings indicate that the Taliban is the main perpetrator of these violations, as per Khaama Press.
The UN stated that the Taliban does not accept the international definition of a child as someone under 18 years old and considers a child to be someone who does not show signs of puberty.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba said that despite some actions by the Taliban, including the issuance of a decree prohibiting the recruitment of children, the group has not yet made child protection a part of its governance agenda.
After regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban announced that it would dismiss underage individuals from its ranks.