KABUL — The UN special rapporteur, Richard Bennett, on Wednesday warned that the recruitment of children into armed groups is part of a broader child rights crisis in the country.
In a statement on X, marking the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers, Bennett said that education bans, child labor, and economic hardship have left Afghan children increasingly vulnerable to armed violence.
“Protecting education & livelihoods is protecting children,” he wrote.
According to the United Nations, tens of thousands of boys and girls worldwide are forced into armed conflicts, a practice it calls a grave violation of human rights.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over the recruitment of underage boys into the Taliban’s military ranks, further raising alarms about child exploitation in Afghanistan.
