KABUL, Afghanistan: The United Nations has reported an 81 percent increase in the recruitment and use of children by Taliban forces in Afghanistan over three years, documenting 557 cases between January 2023 and December 2025, including boys as young as 12.
In its latest report, titled “Children and Armed Conflict in Afghanistan,” the UN Secretary-General said that 4,582 grave violations against children were verified during the reporting period, affecting 1,993 children, including 1,658 boys, 324 girls and 11 children whose gender was unknown.
The report, covers six categories of grave violations: the recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, abduction, and the denial of humanitarian access.
The report highlighted a sharp rise in the recruitment of children and the denial of humanitarian assistance. The UN cautioned that the figures do not represent the full extent of violations in Afghanistan because of monitoring constraints and reduced funding.
The Taliban were responsible for most of the violations.
The southern region recorded the highest number of verified violations, with 1,023 cases, followed by the northern region with 718 and the western region with 647.
According to the report, all 557 verified cases of recruitment and use of children involved Taliban fighters. Of these, 342 children were recruited in 2023, 11 in 2024 and 204 in 2025.
The report found that 341 boys were used in support roles, while 216 were used in both combat and support roles. Recruitment methods included persuasion by local leaders, relatives or parents in 185 cases, while the method was unknown in 372 cases.
Poverty remained a key factor contributing to the recruitment and use of children amid Afghanistan’s continuing economic crisis.
The findings raise concerns about the continued recruitment of minors by the Taliban regime.
The UN said recruitment and use of children in combat and non-combat roles continued within Taliban forces.
The report called on the Taliban to immediately release children from their ranks, formally define a child as every person under the age of 18, introduce internationally recognised age-assessment procedures and establish child-protection units at recruitment centres.
The report further documented the killing and maiming of 1,415 children during the three-year period, including 446 killed and 969 injured or otherwise maimed. The victims comprised 1,094 boys, 310 girls and 11 children whose gender was unknown.
