More than 100,000 babies die every year from war, according to a report published in Germany on Friday by Save the Children.
According to the NGO report, at least 550,000 infants died between 2013 and 2017 in the 10 countries most affected by wars due to hunger, poor hygiene, lack of health care or denial of aid.
If added to these infants, children under the five years who died during this period, the death toll rises to 870 thousand infants and children, the result of the organization was likely to be in fact much greater.
The 10 countries cited are Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria and Somalia.
By comparison, the number of combatants killed in these 10 countries between 2013 and 2017 was about 175,000 fighters, or one-third of the number of infants who died during this period, according to the report.
"Every day children are attacked because of armed groups and military forces that do not respect international laws and treaties, from the use of chemical weapons to the use of rape as a weapon of war, war crimes are committed with total impunity," the report quoted UNHCR official Hilly Thorning-Schmidt as saying. .
In a report published on the sidelines of the Munich annual security conference, Save the Children noted that these children would probably not have died if they had not been living in areas affected by war.
Hundreds of political, diplomatic, military and scientific decision-makers from 40 countries will attend the Munich conference, which will last until Sunday.
"When the laws of war are violated, the international community must be clear by recalling that this can not be tolerated and that the perpetrators of these acts must be held accountable," said Helly Thorning-Schmidt in the report.
About 420 million children, or 18 percent of the world´s children, were living in conflict-affected areas in 2017, an increase of 30 million children from 2016.
In its report, the organization made recommendations to governments and armed groups, including requiring combatants to pledge not to recruit combatants under the age of 18 and to refrain from using explosive weapons in populated areas.
