OSRSG/062711-14
PRESS STATEMENT
SRSG Coomaraswamy on the use of a girl suicide bomber and the deadly attack on a hospital in Afghanistan
New York, 27 June 2011 – SRSG Coomaraswamy was appalled to learn today of the use of a young girl as an unwitting suicide bomber in the Char China District of Afghanistan. Equally disturbing was a brutal attack on Akbar Khail hospital, also in Afghanistan.
“Attacks on hospitals are two-fold atrocities. Not only do they kill and wound girls and boys, they leave thousands of women and children without access to treatment. The disgraceful act of putting a bomb in a little girl’s basket and sending her unknowing to kill is almost unimaginable. The group or individuals responsible must be brought to justice.
As conflict changes, I fear that we will only see more of these unconscionable methods deployed by those who do not respect fundamental rights of children,” said SRSG Coomaraswamy.
This attack comes at a time when, following a recommendation by the Secretary-General in his Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, the Security Council is discussing the issue of attacks on schools and hospitals as possible listing criteria in the Secretary-General’s list of shame for parties to conflict who violate children in conflict.
According to the Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, “a total of 197 education-related incidents throughout Afghanistan verified.”
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
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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
+1 917 367 35 62
gschwend@un.org
