UN warns that child soldiers remain a global crisis, with thousands still exploited in conflicts.
The UN’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, has raised the alarm over the continued use of children in warfare, marking the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers.
Frazier highlighted that violations are most severe in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, and Myanmar, with children forced into fighting, cooking, spying, human shields, or sexual slavery.
“In Nigeria alone, at least 1,900 children were recruited by Boko Haram, including as human bombs,” she said, noting that verified cases likely understate the true scale. Over the past 30 years, more than 220,000 children have been rescued from armed groups globally.
Frazier stressed the human cost behind the numbers: “Each number in our report represents a child whose innocence has been interrupted. Children should never be treated as collateral of war.”
She also highlighted the challenges of reintegration, particularly for girls returning with children, who often face community stigma.
“Accountability is key,” Frazier said. “Prosecutions in national courts and the International Criminal Court send a strong message that recruiting children carries real consequences.”
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