Increase of child soldiers in armed groups in 2014

(Vatican Radio) The recruitment of child soldiers in countries around the world is an ongoing concern and one which the United Nations and other children’s groups want to bring to the fore on this World Day Against Child Soldiers.

Charu Lata Hogg of the London-based group Child Soldiers International says while child recruitment to national armed forces worldwide is on the decline, the number of children being recruited by armed groups, such as Islamic State, is on the rise.

She said some of the regions of the world that emerged in 2014 as the areas of greatest concern regarding the recruitment of child soldiers include, in Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan, and in the Middle East, Iraq and Syria. She made mention of a rise in child soldiers in Pakistan as well.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, she said it is difficult to isolate the factors that contribute to the recruitment of child soldiers, as it is the result of a number of factors, adding that the phenomenon is linked to a general breakdown of a region’s “social fabric.”

She spoke with us about the challenges in stemming the problem and the need for action on international, national and local levels, calling for greater resources in rehabilitation  programs for former child soldiers.

Listen to the full interview by Laura Ieraci: