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Save the Children denounces atrocities against children in Mozambique

African child behind a metal fence African child behind a metal fence Photo by Poco_bw on iStock

16 March 2021

Numerous children have been brutally killed in the ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado province.

According to Save the Children, the conflict in the province of Cabo Delgado has intensified over the past year, with the escalation of violence particularly affecting villages, causing the death and flight of thousands of people. An alarming fact, highlighted by the organization, relates to the brutal killings of children that are taking place in the province. According to the testimonies of the displaced families, the beheading of children as young as 11 years old has emerged as a new trend in the conflict. 

The northern province of Cabo Delgado, in Mozambique, has been the centre of a conflict since 2017, between rebels known as Al-Shabaab, and government forces. Save the Children is present in the Mozambican territory to respond to the needs of children displaced by the conflict. So far, it has reached out to over 50,000 children, providing education, protection, health and sanitation programmes. However, there are still many steps to be taken, as funding for humanitarian aid has been reduced and needs are increasing in comparison to available resources.

Save the Children's Country Director in Mozambique, Chance Briggs, expressed deep outrage at the atrocities committed against children, denouncing their targeting  in the conflict, which represents a violation of International Humanitarian Law. In light of the recent events, the organization has called on the parties to the conflict to ensure compliance with International Humanitarian Law and international human rights laws and standards. Save the Children has also urged all actors involved to take measures to minimize the impact of the conflict on civilians, with particular attention to ending attacks on children. 

 

To know more, please read: 

https://www.savethechildren.net/news/children-young-11-brutally-murdered-cabo-delgado-mozambique

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56411157

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/16/mozambique-fighters-beheading-children-as-young-as-11-ngo

 

Author: Francesca Mencuccini; Editor: Carla Leonetti

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