BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Newly appointed United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, AbdulKadir Musse, is warning of a disturbing surge in violence against children in the region.

“Across the subregion, children are increasingly caught up in escalating violence, where fatal events that should be unimaginable are now occurring,” Musse said, as the UNICEF Eastern Caribbean said it is “deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Shawnathon Chase, a Barbadian child who was a kind, vibrant and well-loved member of his school community, a young man full of dreams and aspirations for a future he has now been denied – at the point of a gun.

“Our hearts are heavy as we think of his family, thrown into profound grief. No family should suffer this pain,” he said, adding, “We also recollect with incomprehension the recent murder of nine-year-old Chantel Crump in Antigua and Barbuda.

“Children have also lost their lives to violence in Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago within the last few months,” Musse said, echoing the call by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley for collective action to stem the violence.

“We can and must come together to make sure that our children’s lives, our communities and our nations are not blighted by this violence. We need to act jointly and with resolve to keep our children safe,” said Musse, reiterating UNICEF’s commitment to combating violence against children through collaborative efforts.

“At UNICEF, challenging violence against children is at the very heart of what we do. We are working with partners – including government, schools, parents, policymakers and researchers – on expanding violence prevention programmes and interventions so young people live lives free from hurt and harm, harm,”Musse said, appealing for a renewed focus on safeguarding children, stressing that these tragedies must not continue.

“Let our shock and our sadness have purpose; let them move us to redoubling our efforts – and looking at new ideas and strategies – to ensure that no other child shares the fate of Shawnaton Chase,” he said.

On Tuesday, Chase died from stray bullets in a gun attack while at a netball court in Christ Church on the southern end of the island.