For a printable version of Watchlist’s October 2026 Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update, click here.

In his 2026 annual report (S/2026/357) on children and armed conflict (CAAC), the Secretary-General (SG) newly listed Gran Grif for the recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and abduction of children, Kraze Barye for the recruitment and use and killing and maiming of children, and 400 Mawozo for the recruitment and use of children. The Viv Ansam coalition continued to be listed for the recruitment and use and killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, and attacks on schools and hospitals. According to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), between April and June 2026, BINUH recorded 61 child killings (46 boys and 15 girls) and 27 child maimings (13 boys and 14 girls). In Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouqets alone, gang violence killed 44 children and injured 18. BINUH also reported that, in the Plaine du Cul-de-Dac and Cité Soleil, between 6 March and 31 July, gang members subjected more than 176 women and girls to rape, including gang rape, often as a form of “punishment: for living in areas controlled by rival gangs. In October, the SG will report on BINUH per SCR 2814 (2026) as well as the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) per SCR 2793 (2025). The Security Council should:

• Call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and uphold their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL);
• Urge all listed parties to engage with the UN to develop, sign, and implement an action plan to prevent and end grave violations against children;
• Urge all armed groups to immediately and unconditionally release all children under 18 from their ranks and end and prevent all child recruitment and use; reiterate that children associated with armed forces and gangs should be treated primarily as victims, and their reintegration should be prioritized;
• Encourage the Government of Haiti to fully and consistently implement its 2024 handover protocol, including through sufficient child protection capacities; so that children encountered during security operations are transferred to civilian child protection actors and treated primarily as victims. Cases involving children deprived of liberty, including at CERMICOL, should be expedited, and rehabilitation and reintegration services for children affected by armed violence should be strengthened.
• Call on Member States participating in the GSF to establish an oversight mechanism to prevent human rights violations or abuses, in particular sexual exploitation and abuse, to deploy dedicated child and women’s protection advisers;
• Ensure that the GSF prioritizes and mainstreams the protection of children throughout its mandate in all the planning and conduct of its operations, including through capacity-building; supports the release and recovery of children from armed gangs and their immediate handover to civilian child protection actors, and facilitates safe access for child protection actors to affected children;
• Urge donors to swiftly mobilize additional flexible funds to support the humanitarian response in Haiti, including resources for child protection and reintegration programs.

PANAMA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDERS ON HAITI. 

In the annexes of his 2026 annual report on CAAC, the SG listed the Somali National Army and the Somali Police Force for killing, maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence as well as Al-Shabaab for all listable grave violations. The reduced footprint of UN peace operations, as a result of UN Security Council’s resolutions mandating their transition or withdrawal, has created significant protection gaps for children in Somalia. As UNTMIS ceases operations before end of October 2026 after completing the second phase of its transition, the monitoring, reporting, and prevention mechanisms it once sustained will weaken, leaving children in volatile environments with fewer safeguards and limited access to essential services. The Security Council should:

• Call on all parties to conflict, particularly Al-Shabaab, to end and prevent grave violations against children; and uphold their obligations under international law, including IHL and IHRL;
• Call on the authorities to ensure children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups are handed over to civilians child protection actors in line with the handover processes and that children associated with armed groups are treated as victims first;
• Urge donors to ensure resourcing for continued monitoring and reporting coverage, especially in areas under non-State actor influence, in implementation of the Security Council’s children and armed conflict mandate;
• In light of the constitutional progress and reported changes made to the age of the child in Somalia, as well as the ongoing reviews of child rights laws, urge the Federal Government of Somalia to align measures with its international and regional human rights obligations and retain the definition of a child as any human being under 18 years of age as per the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

THE UNITED KINGDOM IS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDER ON SOMALIA. 

In the annexes of his 2026 annual report on CAAC, the SG continued to list the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and abduction as well as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and abduction. In 2025, the UN verified 555 grave violations against 383 children, including the killing and maiming of 197 children (114 killed, 83 maimed), the recruitment and use of 147 children, the abduction of 102 children, sexual violence against 28 girls, 40 attacks on (16) schools and (24) hospitals, and 12 incidents of denial of humanitarian access. The UN also verified the military use of eight schools and two hospitals. The SSPDF was responsible for the majority of violations, including the killing and maiming of 126 children, recruitment and use of 107 children, the abduction of 58 children, sexual violence against 19 girls, 26 attacks on schools and hospitals, and nine incidents of denial of humanitarian access. Of the children abducted, 65 were abducted for recruitment and use. In 2025, South Sudan’s political and security situation deteriorated significantly
as tensions between the SSPDF and SPLM/A-IO escalated, with ceasefire violations, political fragmentation, and widespread clashes across multiple states. Intensified military operations and the SSPDF’s increased use of aerial bombardments heightened risks for children and contributed to the rise in grave violations. In October, the SG will report on the implementation of the UNMISS mandate per SCR 2820 (2026). The Security Council should:

• Call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and uphold their obligations under international law, including IHL and IHRL;
• Ensure allocation of sufficient resources to strengthen capacities to deliver UNMISS’ child protection mandate, including for monitoring and engagement with parties to end and prevent grave violations;
• Urge the Government and parties that have endorsed the 2020 Comprehensive Action Plan to fully and swiftly implement their commitments, and urge all parties to release and hand over to child protection actors all children from their ranks, their reintegration should be prioritized in line with international juvenile justice standards, and detention should only be used as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate time;
• Urge the Government to end impunity for grave violations against children through timely and impartial investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution; urge allocation of appropriate resources to ensure survivors of grave violations have access to justice, including for rape and other forms of sexual violence; and designate a focal point on CAAC in the Ministry of Justice;
• Call on all parties to allow and facilitate the safe, timely, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected populations, especially children;
• Demand that all parties Immediately cease attacks or threats against schools, hospitals, and related protected persons, in line with SCR 2601 (2021).

THE UNITED STATES IS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDER ON SOUTH SUDAN.

The Working Group has received the following reports of the SG on children and armed conflict and conclusions remain pending: Mali (S/2024/883), Burkina Faso (S/2025/101), Myanmar (S/2025/81), Yemen (S/2025/113), South Sudan (S/2025/317), Syria (S/2025/535), and Somalia (S/2025/735). For targeted recommendations, see Watchlist’s Monthly CAAC updates from March 2025, May 2025, June 2025, September 2025, December 2025, and February 2026, respectively.