UN: Violence against children in war zones reaches record high in 2024
Violence against children in conflict zones surged to unprecedented levels in 2024, according to a new United Nations report that highlights grave violations in Gaza, the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, Haiti, and Ukraine.
The annual report on children in armed conflict, presented by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, recorded over 41,000 verified violations, a 25% increase from 2023. These include killings, maiming, recruitment, sexual violence, and attacks on schools and hospitals.
“Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities,” Guterres said, citing the collapse of ceasefires and the use of indiscriminate tactics, such as targeting civilians and deploying child combatants.
According to AP, the report identified Israeli forces, armed Palestinian groups, and various armed factions across Africa and the Caribbean as major perpetrators. In Gaza, 1,259 Palestinian children were killed, and nearly 1,000 were injured. Violations also surged in Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti, where gangs recruited and abused children at alarming rates.
In Ukraine, Russian forces were blacklisted again after verified abuses against hundreds of children, including at least 94 deaths and dozens of attacks on educational facilities.
UN Special Representative Virginia Gamba warned, “We are at the point of no return,” urging all parties to end what she called “a war on children.”
The report concludes with a stark reminder: 22,495 children were direct victims of grave violations in 2024—many suffering multiple, life-altering abuses.
