SRSG/CAAC Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict [to 16 April 2016]
https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/virtual-library/press-release-archive/

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13 Apr 2016
Bring Back Our Girls. Bring Back Our Children.
Statement by Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict on the two-year anniversary of the abduction of 276 girls in Chibok, Nigeria
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10 Apr 2016
STATEMENT attributable to Ms. Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and Dr. Peter Salama, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa
NEW YORK/AMMAN- “The children of Yemen are bearing the brunt of a brutal conflict. The cessation of hostilities that has come into effect today is an opportunity for parties to take action to improve their protection.

“In the past year, the United Nations verified a significant increase in grave violations against children by all parties to the conflict in Yemen. According to recent figures, 900 children were killed, a seven fold increase compared with 2014. Child recruitment increased five times, with 848 cases verified. Meanwhile, attacks on schools and hospitals have doubled, bringing the total number to over 115. The disruption in the delivery of basic services has deprived thousands of children of their fundamental rights to education and health.

“The incidents that the United Nations was able to verify represent the tip of the iceberg, but they do reveal some very concerning trends. First, it is estimated that children represent around one-third of all civilians killed and close to a quarter of those injured. Second, attacks on civilian infrastructure, especially schools and health clinics, have become commonplace. Third, children are now playing a more active role in combat and manning checkpoints including on the front-lines.

“Taken together these data represent a disturbing pattern of flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law and the rights of children in Yemen. These patterns have far-reaching implications for the stability of Yemen and the future of its children…
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05 Apr 2016
Sudan Moving Forward to End and Prevent the Recruitment of Children in National Security Forces
New York- The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, is encouraged by the commitment expressed by Sudanese authorities following the signing of an Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in the country’s national security forces.

“The Vice-President, the Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Social Affairs and other senior officials of the Sudanese Government expressed their intention to act quickly to enhance the protection of the country’s children. They have my support and I look forward to the Action Plan’s full implementation,” said Leila Zerrougui.

The Action Plan, signed on Sunday in a ceremony presided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, marked a new milestone in the campaign Children, Not Soldiers. Sudan already has laws that set the minimum age for recruitment at 18 and criminalize underage recruitment. The Action Plan details steps and measures to end and prevent underage recruitment, including strengthening age verification mechanisms and ensuring accountability for child recruiters…