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Analytical Study of States’ Obligations Regarding Children’s Right to Water Security in Armed Conflict Situations
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Mohammad Mehdi Seyednasseri *1    , Zahra Maleki rad2 |
1- Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Faculty of Law, Qom University, Qom, Iran. |
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Abstract: (22 Views) |
Background and Aim: In recent decades, water security has emerged as a cornerstone of human security and sustainable development. Within the context of international armed conflicts, particularly in conflict zones such as the Middle East, the deliberate destruction of water infrastructure and the weaponization of water constitute direct threats to the rights of children to life, health and dignity. This study aims to analyze the international legal framework governing the right to water security for children during armed conflicts and to evaluate state obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.
Methods: The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach based on documentary research. It employs comparative legal analysis of key international treaties (including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court) supplemented by reports from UNICEF, the UN Human Rights Council and UNEP.
Ethical Considerations: In all stages of writing the present research, the ethical aspects of library-based study Including the originality of the texts, honesty and trustworthiness have been observed.
Results: Findings reveal that the weaponization of water during armed conflicts constitutes a blatant violation of fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, namely, distinction, proportionality and humane treatment and gravely infringes upon children’s essential rights to survival, health and sustainable development. Moreover, normative and institutional gaps remain in protecting children’s water security, highlighting the need to reconceptualize the right to water as an integral component of the right to life.
Conclusion: The study concludes that sustainable peace is unattainable without water security. Ensuring children’s access to safe and sufficient water requires a threefold strategy: 1. Reinforcing state obligations toward sustainable water management before conflicts; 2. Strict adherence to humanitarian principles during hostilities; 3. Comprehensive post-conflict reconstruction of water and sanitation systems through international cooperation. It is therefore recommended that a Special Protocol on Children’s Water Security be incorporated into existing humanitarian law instruments to establish binding norms against the weaponization of water and to safeguard children’s fundamental rights. |
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| Keywords: Children’s Rights, Water Security, International Humanitarian Law, Weaponization of Water, Sustainable Development, Armed Conflicts |
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Full-Text [PDF 757 kb]
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Type of Study: Original Article |
Received: 2025/10/11 | Accepted: 2026/04/14 | Published: 2026/07/23
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