A stark report from the UN Child Rights Committee (CRC) today exposed severe violations against children across seven nations, detailing the devastating impact of armed conflict in Colombia and Ethiopia, Pakistan”s mass deportation of vulnerable Afghan children, and shocking abuses in Ghana where disabled children have allegedly been killed in so-called “prayer camps.”
The findings, published today after the committee”s latest session, outline grave concerns and urgent recommendations for Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, and Spain regarding their implementation of the Child Rights Convention.
In Colombia, the committee expressed deep concern over the worsening consequences of armed conflict on children. This includes a rise in recruitment by non-State armed groups, disproportionately affecting Indigenous and Afro-Colombian children, alongside the killing and maiming of youngsters, sometimes during military operations. The CRC has called on the state to halt all child recruitment by military and police forces and to ensure peace processes mandate the immediate release of children associated with armed groups.
The report also highlighted Colombia”s persisting high rates of infant mortality, malnutrition-related deaths, and enforced disappearances of children, urging the government to strengthen health and sanitation services and bolster the Urgent Search Mechanism for missing children.
For Ethiopia, the committee voiced alarm at a significant increase in grave violations amid armed conflicts, including killings, sexual violence, and the denial of humanitarian aid. It pressed Ethiopia to permit unimpeded humanitarian access and to transfer children from encampments to civilian child protection agencies. Widespread domestic abuse, neglect, and sexual violence were also flagged, prompting a call for comprehensive national child protection legislation.
In Ghana, despite progress on a framework to end child marriage, the committee remained troubled by its persistence, along with female genital mutilation. More alarmingly, the report raised a red flag over credible accounts of children with disabilities being confined to “prayer camps,” where they are deprived of basic necessities and, in some instances, killed. The UN body demanded the prohibition of these camps and accountability for perpetrators.
The situation for migrant, asylum-seeking, and refugee children in Malaysia drew serious criticism, particularly regarding their placement in immigration detention and barriers to basic services. The CRC urged an end to the detention of children, recommending family and community-based alternatives and ensuring all non-citizen children can access education and health services. The lack of birth registration for these communities was also a major point of concern.
In the Maldives, the committee noted the pervasiveness of violence against children, which is compounded by social stigma and cultural taboos that discourage reporting. It also pointed to rising mental health challenges and inadequate adolescent sexual and reproductive health services, recommending the adoption of a Mental Health Bill and a comprehensive policy to address these gaps.
The committee found an alarmingly high number of unregistered children in Pakistan, urging legislative amendments to ensure all children born in the country receive a birth certificate immediately. It also expressed serious concern over the deportation of numerous Afghan children under the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan, exposing them to exploitation and family separation. The CRC called on Pakistan to adopt a national refugee law and reconsider the repatriation plan. Furthermore, it noted disturbing reports of boys being sexually exploited at tourist and religious sites.
Regarding Spain, the UN body noted a lack of official data on sexual violence against children within the family environment and low prosecution rates for abuse committed by Catholic Church personnel. Persistently high child poverty levels, substandard housing, and forced evictions disproportionately affecting Roma children also caused serious concern, leading to a recommendation for a comprehensive strategy to guarantee an adequate standard of living for all children.