OSRSG/030311-5
PRESS RELEASE
Statement by Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict on the children killed in Afghanistan
New York, 3 March – “Children killed in Afghanistan by air strikes is a cause of serious concern,” said Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy.
Early last year, the international forces introduced technical directives aimed to better protect civilians during air strikes. This had resulted in a significant decrease in the number of children killed by pro-government forces in 2010.
While welcoming General Petraeus’ apology for the most recent incident and his commitment to investigate, SRSG Coomaraswamy urged a thorough review of procedures to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to prevent children from becoming casualties in the complex and volatile situation in Afghanistan.
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For further information, please contact:
Timothy La Rose
Communications Officer
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
+1 917 346 3404
larose@un.org
Muriel Gschwend
Associate Communications Officer
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
+917 367 35 62
gschwend@un.org
Website:http://www.un.org/children/conflict
Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/childreninwar
Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/childrenandarmedconflict/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/childreninwar
