UN Report Says Children Being Used as 'Human Shields' in Syria

June 12, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. George Graham from charity Save the Children talks about a UN report he describes as "absolutely shocking." The report on the Syrian conflict details many abuses against children, including their use as human shields. Following the reported massacres in Houla and al-Qubair, Graham describes a picture building of "a conflict whose principle victims are children."

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Human shield

Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the ci... Explore this topic

Syrian Civil War

The Syrian civil war is an ongoing armed conflict in Syria between forces loyal to the Syrian Ba'ath Party government and those seeking to oust it. The conflict began on 15 March 2011, with popular demonstrations that grew nationwide by April 2011. These demonstrations were pa... Explore this topic

Save the Children

The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an internationally active non-governmental organization that promotes children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries. It was established in the United Kingdom in 1919 in ... Explore this topic

Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest. A country of fertile plains, high mountains and deserts, i... Explore this topic

Civilian casualties

Civilian casualties is a military term describing civilian or non-combatant persons killed, injured, or imprisoned by military action. The description of civilian casualties includes any form of military action regardless of whether civilians were targeted directly. This diffe... Explore this topic

2012 al-Qubair massacre

The al-Kubeir massacre, also known as the Hama massacre, was a massacre in the village of al-Kubeir near Hama, Syria on 6 June 2012 during the country's ongoing civil conflict. Activists and witnesses stated that scores of civilians, including children, had been killed by pro-... Explore this topic

Houla massacre

The Houla massacre was an attack that took place on May 25, 2012, in two opposition-controlled villages in the Houla Region of Syria. According to UN observers, 108 people were killed, including 25 men, 34 women, and 49 children. Major General Robert Mood, head of the United N... Explore this topic

Refugee

A refugee is a person who is outside their country of origin or habitual residence because they have suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because they are a member of a persecuted 'social group' or because they are fleeing natur... Explore this topic

Child

Biologically, a child is a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some biological definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majori... Explore this topic

United Nations

The United Nations is the world's largest, foremost, and most prominent international organization. The stated aims of the United Nations include promoting and facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human r... Explore this topic

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Human shield

Syrian Civil War

Save the Children

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