ISIS has been reported to have tortured, raped and murdered children in Iraq. In some cases, ISIS has also turned children into suicide bombers. United Nations reported the horrific actions of ISIS towards children on Wednesday, February, 4, 2015.
NPR states that the United Nations Committee of the Right of the Child had received reports of several cases of mass executions of boys, as well as reports of beheadings, crucifixions of children, and burying children alive.
So far, eighteen independent experts worked on the report the United Nations released on Wednesday. Among them is U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child expert Renate Winters who spoke with Reuters about the matter. "The scope of the problem is huge."
ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has reportedly been performing horrifying acts towards children. Aside from the mass murder of boys, beheading, crucifying, and burying children alive, ISIS militants have also been abducting Iraqi children. These children, if not killed, suffer through horrible treatment and conditions. Some are sold on the market as sex slaves.
Moreover, ISIS has also been known to have its victims go through "systematic sexual violence." While others, more specifically boys, are used by the militant group as bomb makers, informants, or even human shields.
"There was a video placed [online] that showed children at a very young age, approximately eight years of age and younger, to be trained already to become child solders," Winters told Reuters. "We have had reports of children, especially children who are mentally challenged, who have been used as suicide bombers, most probably without them even understanding."
In addition, there are a number of children who have died during air strikes or shelling by Iraqi security forces. While even more die of dehydration, starvation, and heat.
According to Reuters, ethnic minorities, like the Yazidi sect, are the usual targets. However, ISIS has also been known to target Christians, Shi'ites, and Sunnis. It is interesting to mention that ISIS follows the Sunni sect of Islam, reported NPR. Although, ISIS follows an extreme version of the sect.
Fox news reports that the Iraq military are struggling with their fight against ISIS.
Meanwhile, the government of Iraq has pleaded for more weapons and training. According to the New York Post, the United Nations reply to Iraq is to "take all necessary actions to ensure the safety and protection of children and their families."
Meanwhile, all the experts that worked on the report admitted that the Iraqi government faces "tremendous challenges" with ISIS. The committee also stated that some of the problems were inherited and existed before ISIS.
