In a sobering report, the United Nations has revealed that violence against children in conflict zones has reached “unprecedented levels” in 2024, spanning areas from Gaza to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Advertisement -
According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, “In 2024, violence against children in armed conflict surged by a staggering 25 percent compared to 2023.” This alarming statistic highlights the gravity of the situation.
The report identified a total of 41,370 grave violations against children, with 36,221 occurring in 2024 and 5,149 confirmed from previous years. This marks the highest number recorded since the development of the monitoring tool nearly three decades ago.
Tragically, over 4,500 children were killed, and 7,000 injured, which the report underscores as the consequences of “relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks.” The impact on these vulnerable lives cannot be overstated.
Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative for children and armed conflict, poignantly expressed, “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, should keep all of us awake at night.” She emphasized, “This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return.”
Each year, the UN compiles a report documenting violations of children’s rights, focusing on those under 18 in approximately 20 conflict zones around the globe. A notable feature of the report is its “list of shame,” which names parties responsible for such violations. This year, a powerful coalition of Haitian gangs has been added, with accusations including child killings, mutilations, recruitment for violence, kidnappings, denial of humanitarian aid, and sexual violence.
Notably, the Israeli armed forces, named last year alongside the Palestinian militant group Hamas, remain on this list.
In terms of conflict casualties, the Palestinian territories top the rankings, recording over 8,500 serious violations, the majority attributed to Israeli forces, including more than 4,800 documented in Gaza alone.
Among these figures, 1,259 Palestinian children have been confirmed killed in Gaza, with the UN currently verifying reports of an additional 4,470 children alleged to have been killed in the region in 2024.
The report also highlights Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, where more than 500 children were killed or injured in the past year.
Following the Palestinian territories, the highest recorded violence against children in 2024 occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (over 4,000 grave violations), Somalia (more than 2,500), Nigeria (nearly 2,500), and Haiti (over 2,200).
The gangs of Haiti’s ‘Viv Ansanm’ coalition have also made the list, which has seen a staggering 490% increase in violations including child recruitment, murders, and gang rapes. Colombian drug cartel Clan del Golfo has also been implicated in child recruitment.
Colombia has experienced a notable rise in cases of forced recruitment as well, with 450 children reported victims in 2024, compared to 262 the previous year.
Other parties remaining on the list include the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which have been engaged in prolonged conflict in Sudan. The Russian army continues to be implicated for its actions in Ukraine, where the report indicates a 105% increase in serious violations from 2023 to 2024.
As this report makes painfully clear, the plight of children in conflict zones demands urgent attention. Change is imperative.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring.
