PKK/YPG forcibly recruited 231 children in Syria in 2023: UN report

By Serife Cetin

NEW YORK (AA) - A yet-to-be-published UN report revealed that the PKK/YPG and affiliated structures forcibly integrated 231 children into their armed ranks in 2023 in Syria.

Anadolu reviewed the "Children and Armed Conflict Report" by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres which contains data from 2023.

It said last year, that the PKK/YPG terror organization and affiliated structures, operating under the name SDG in Syria, forcibly recruited the children into their armed ranks.

Additionally, the PKK/YPG, including foreign nationals, continued to detain more than 800 children by the end of 2023, claiming they were associated with various armed groups.

Approximately 29,000 children suspected of having connections to the ISIS/Daesh terror group have been deprived of their freedoms in camps controlled by the PKK/YPG in northeastern Syria for years.

In 2023, the PKK/YPG and other structures killed or maimed eight children, and terrorists utilized 31 schools and hospitals for their armed activities.

- Guterres demands release of children

The report also includes assessments by the UN chief.

Guterres noted the alarming number of grave violations against children in Syria and urged compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Calling for the unconditional and immediate release of all children, Guterres emphasized the cessation of attacks on schools and hospitals and underscored that the buildings should not be used for military purposes.

Expressing concern about the increasing number of children forcibly recruited and utilized by the PKK/YPG terror group, Guterres highlighted the alarming violence affecting women and children in camps and detention centers in northeastern Syria and noted that restricting their freedoms could be the last resort.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul