Child Protection Office accuses media of attacking Autonomous Administration, SDF regarding recruitment

Hasakah, Child Protection Office handing minors of military forces to their parents. North Press.
Hasakah, Child Protection Office handing minors of military forces to their parents. North Press.

RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Child Protection Office in the Autonomous Administration North East Syria (AANES) said on Monday that some websites and media outlets that attacked AANES regarding child recruitment in the area are dealing with the subject neither subjectively nor professionally.

On the AANES official website, the office did not mention the name of the outlets they accuse of attacking AANES.

The AANES Executive Council established the Child Protection Office late in August. This step came after an agreement signed by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi with the United Nations on June 29 2019 to prevent the recruitment of children and their use as combatants in armed conflict.

On October 20, the Child Protection Office of AANES started its work following issues regarding Child Protection.  

So far the Office has received 86 complaints formally submitted by families of children from different parts of AANES.   

A big batch of minors was handed over to their families, in addition to tackling several complaints legally, according to the Office’s published statement.

The Office is working on developing a list of professionals to deal with these issues, a bylaw and a strategy for protecting children in northeastern Syria, with the aim of reaching a unified law for child protection in the region.