A/HRC/43/38 the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan, girls were sexually abused during their association with armed forces and groups, and forcibly married to combatants. Sexual violence continued to be used as a weapon of war, including to humiliate, dominate and instil fear in communities. Gang rapes were common, and some survivors of sexual violence were as young as 3 years of age. 28. The lack of information on boys who were victims of sexual violence continued to reinforce the perception that girls and women are the only victims of sexual violence in armed conflict. This situation reinforces stigma and discourages male survivors from disclosing their experiences, thus preventing them from receiving adequate assistance and demanding justice. In 2019, incidents of sexual violence against boys continued to be verified in Darfur and Yemen, as well as in Afghanistan, including cases of bacha bazi, a harmful practice whereby boys are used by men for entertainment and dancing and subjected to sexual violence. Bacha bazi continued to be underreported and verification was challenging because of the sensitivities involved, as well as security and protection concerns for survivors. Attacks on schools and hospitals and their use for military purposes 29. Schools and hospitals, as well as related protected personnel, continued to be targeted or were collateral damage. At the time of writing, the highest number of attacks for 2019 were verified in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, followed by the Syrian Arab Republic and Afghanistan. Attacks on schools and hospitals also increased in Libya, impacting children’s access to education and health care. In Mali, attacks against schools and hospitals included the burning of facilities, explosions, the destruction of school equipment, threats against education personnel, the theft of medicines, and the carjacking of ambulances and vehicles. 30. Throughout 2019 schools continued to be used for military purposes, thus eroding their sanctity as safe spaces and blurring the lines between military and civilian installations and exposing schools, teachers and students to attack. The proximity of armed actors to school environments also left children vulnerable to other grave violations. 31. The repercussions of attacks against schools and of their military use can be long lasting. If not cancelled indefinitely, classes may be suspended for days, weeks or even longer. Rebuilding or repairing the physical infrastructure, refurbishing buildings and reinstalling skilled teachers requires significant resources and puts a heavy burden on communities that can seldom afford them. Abduction of children 32. Often compounding other violations, the abduction of children continued to be a feature of conflicts in 2019, although continuously underreported. At the time of writing, the highest number of abductions for 2019 were verified in Somalia, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. Children were often abducted by armed groups for the purpose of recruitment to bolster their numbers and sustain the economy of war or for the purpose of sexual violence. In Somalia, abduction was the primary way for Al-Shabaab to forcibly recruit children for use as combatants. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, children abducted by the Bana Mura in May 2017 continued to be held and used for forced labour and/or sexual slavery. In other contexts, children were abducted to pressure families and communities to pay ransoms or to pressure families who had deserted to return to the armed group, such as in Myanmar. Denial of humanitarian access to children 33. The year 2019 has witnessed a considerable increase in incidents of denial of humanitarian access to children in conflict zones. At the time of writing, verified numbers for the denial of humanitarian access to children had more than tripled for 2019 compared to those for 2018. Most cases were verified in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, due to an increase in both the denial and the delay of Israeli-issued permits for children to exit Gaza for specialized medical care. In Yemen and Mali, verified numbers exceeded those of 2018. 7