KATHMANDU, Sept 17: A rapid assessment led by Save the Children and Children as Zone of Peace (CZOP), in collaboration with 13 child rights organizations, has revealed grave violations of children’s rights during the recent Gen Z–led protests in Nepal. The assessment documents deaths, injuries, arbitrary arrests, and widespread trauma among children and young people as a result of the excessive force used by state security forces.
The report, formally handed over to Tapta Bahadur Magar, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), highlights urgent needs across medical, psychosocial, safety, legal, and educational domains. The assessment also provides evidence of a deep trust deficit between state mechanisms, particularly the police, and children and youth, emphasizing the need for peacebuilding and conflict-transformation approaches to prevent further violations.
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“We call upon the government, and key stakeholders to take immediate action to ensure accountability, end the use of excessive force, guarantee mental health support for survivors, and urgently establish an independent inquiry into the violence and hard handedness during the Gen Z protest,” said, Tara Chettry, Country Director of Save the Children Nepal.
Key recommendations from the assessment include strengthening child-focused mental health and psychosocial services to address trauma and intergenerational harm caused by state violence; embedding peacebuilding and conflict-transformation approaches to rebuild trust between children, young people, and state authorities; sensitizing state bodies and security agencies on child rights and strengthening accountability measures; and renewing Nepal’s commitment to its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and other international human rights treaties.
“The reported deaths and injuries documented in this assessment represent an unacceptable breach of Nepal’s commitments under international and national law, and of the state’s commitment to protect children and their rights,” said Tilottam Paudel, Chairperson of CZOP.
