Annual Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict
UN General Assembly / Security Council
A/69/926–S/2015/409
5 June 2015 :: 51 pages
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/69/926&Lang=E&Area=UNDOC

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[Excerpt]
II. Addressing the impact of armed conflict on children
A. Trends and developments
5. There were unprecedented challenges in 2014 with regard to the protection of tens of millions of children growing up in situations affected by conflict. In particular, children in several countries affected by major crises, namely, the Central African Republic, Iraq, Israel/State of Palestine, Nigeria, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic, were exposed to the most egregious violations. This added to existing violations against children in protracted conflicts, such as in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia. Most recently, the security situation in Yemen deteriorated further with reports, in April 2015, of significant numbers of child casualties.
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B. Abductions as an increasing trend
6. Mass abductions of civilians, including children, have become an increasingly prevalent feature of conflict in many situations described in the present report. The abduction of children had primarily been a precursor to other violations, such as killing and maiming, recruitment and use, or sexual violence. In many instances, abducted children were also arbitrarily detained by Governments and armed groups. While these trends continued in 2014, armed groups abducted children in greater numbers and increasingly used abductions as a tactic to terrorize or target particular ethnic groups or religious communities.
7. In Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, over one thousand girls and boys were abducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In one incident in the Syrian Arab Republic, ISIL abducted approximately 150 young boys on their way home from having taken school exams in Aleppo. They were released from captivity after a few months, during which they were physically abused, indoctrinated and made to observe violent practices. Towards the end of the year, ISIL issued a document justifying its sexual slavery of Yezidi girls abducted in Iraq. In Nigeria, Boko Haram abducted hundreds of women and girls in major attacks in Chibok and across the country’s north-eastern region. Video statements released by Boko Haram indicated that the abductions were in retaliation against the Government for the detention of relatives and served as punishment for schoolchildren attending Western-style schools.
8. The information contained in the present report demonstrates that the increase in the frequency and scale of abductions has resulted in greater protection needs for children. The children require safe release, family tracing, medical, psychological and legal assistance…

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Press Release
Abductions of children pose alarming new trend: Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict
11 Jun 2015
New York – Mass abductions of children and other civilians have become increasingly prevalent in many of the 23 conflict situations of 2014 that are highlighted in the Annual Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, released today.

“Abductions have emerged as a rising and alarming trend that are being used in many new ways, including as a tactic to terrorize or target particular ethnic groups or religious communities,” said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui.

“The sharp rise in abductions highlights the need for us to elevate our focus on this violation as we seek to strengthen the tools we have that are aimed at protecting children during armed conflict.”…