'Forty-eight children's right to life violated in Kurdish regions in 10 months'

On the occasion of the World Children's Rights Day on November 20, the Diyarbakır branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) presented its "Child Rights Violations Report." 

The report sheds light on the period between January 1, 2022, and November 1, 2023, revealing that the right to life of at least 48 children in Kurdish provinces has been violated.

The most prominent violations, identified through applications to the association and media monitoring, include:

1. Deaths and injuries resulting from official errors and negligence
2. Suspicious child deaths
3. Suicides and attempted suicides
4. Sexual abuse
5. Violence in schools
6. Arbitrary detentions

Furthermore, the report highlights that at least 191 children were detained, and three children were arrested as a result of violations against their freedom and safety. Disturbingly, at least 19 children experienced torture and ill-treatment, including two in detention, one in prison, and 16 outside detention centers.

İHD outlined the infringements on children's right to life, stating:

• Three children lost their lives due to extrajudicial executions by law enforcement officers.
  - Four children lost their lives due to official errors/negligence, while 254 children were injured in various ways. Notably, in four incidents involving reckless use of armored/official/civilian vehicles by law enforcement officers, one child lost their life, and three children were seriously injured.
  - Three children were severely injured due to the explosion of explosives left in mine and conflict zones.
  - Nineteen children lost their lives under suspicious circumstances, with Urfa, Mardin, and Şırnak being the most affected provinces.

Ongoing violations

In a separate press conference, the Diyarbakır Bar Association addressed the ongoing violations. Lawyer Büşra Güger from the Diyarbakır Bar Association's Children's Rights Center delivered the statement:

"In the aftermath of the powerful earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş/Pazarcık on February 6, 2023, affecting 11 provinces and claiming over 50,000 lives, the exact number of child casualties remains uncertain. However, UNICEF estimates that 4.5 million children in Turkey and 3.7 million in Syria were affected by the earthquake.

"Since the earthquake on February 6, children affected by the ongoing process have been subjected to human rights violations from the very beginning. Some children lost their caregivers after the earthquake. Unaccompanied children were placed under protection by the Ministry in other cities without the knowledge of their families and relatives. Basic needs such as shelter and access to clean water have not been met since the early days of the earthquake, and even after nine months, permanent solutions to these problems have not been found.

"In the attacks targeting civilians in the Gaza Strip starting on October 7, it was reported that over 3,000 children lost their lives. Approximately 1 million children have nowhere safe to go. The lack of safe places for 1 million children leads to vital concerns due to the inability to provide health services.

"In the war and conflict-ridden process that started in 2011 in Northern Syria and is still ongoing, approximately 30,000 children have lost their lives.

"The Diyarbakır Bar Association Children's Rights Center declares that we stand against any kind of violation against children and will continue our struggle. We call on all institutions and actors to urgently undertake the necessary efforts to prevent violations of children's rights and to establish a peaceful environment in line with their responsibilities."