Children caught in armed conflict faced unprecedented levels of violence in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record since the United Nations began documenting such violations three decades ago. According to the UN’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, there was a 25 per cent rise in verified grave violations compared to 2023.
The UN report, released on Thursday, documented 41,370 grave violations against children, including 36,221 newly committed in 2024 and 5,149 verified retrospectively, the highest figure since the global monitoring mechanism was introduced.
More than 4,500 children were killed and over 7,000 wounded, displaying that minors continue to suffer the worst consequences of indiscriminate warfare, forced recruitment, and aerial bombardments.
A generation under siege
The scale of abuse rose dramatically across multiple regions, with 22,495 children directly affected by violations ranging from abductions and maiming to the denial of humanitarian access.
“The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball – but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings,” said Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.
Gamba warned that the world was nearing “the point of no return” unless immediate international action was taken.
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Gaza bears the brunt
The Palestinian territories, and particularly Gaza, recorded the most severe violations. Over 8,500 grave cases were documented, most attributed to Israeli forces, including 4,800 violations in Gaza alone.
The UN verified the deaths of 1,259 Palestinian children in Gaza, and investigations are ongoing into an additional 4,470 reported fatalities. Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon also led to 500 child casualties, the report added.
African nations suffer heavily
Across Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo witnessed over 4,000 violations, followed by Somalia (2,500), Nigeria (2,500), and Haiti (2,200). These figures underline the continuing peril faced by children in protracted internal conflicts, often involving non-state armed groups and limited access to humanitarian aid.
The UN has called on all parties in conflict zones to cease attacks on children and civilian infrastructure, urging states to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.
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