(OSRSG-CAAC) – In a new report on the impact of armed conflict on children in Somalia, the United Nations Secretary-General describes how grave violations against boys and girls were committed with impunity over the course of several years. This was due in part to the breakdown in law and order and the absence of state authority in large parts of the country. “The volatile security situation continues to present considerable challenges, and I am deeply troubled by the scale and nature of the violations endured by the Somali children. Despite this difficult context, there have been significant political developments in Somalia in the past few years and positive measures taken by the Federal Government for the protection of boys and girls,” declared Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

Link