UN Reports “Unprecedented” Surge in Violence Against Children \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Violence against children in active conflict zones rose 25% in 2024, with Gaza, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, Haiti, and Ukraine hardest hit. The UN verified over 41,000 “grave violations,” including killing, sexual abuse, recruitment, and attacks on schools and hospitals. The UN urges immediate action to end this escalating crisis.
Quick Looks
- 25% jump in grave violations against those under 18 in 2024.
- 41,370 violations verified—36,221 in 2024, 5,149 earlier but reported later.
- Top flashpoints: Gaza & West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, Haiti.
- Main violations: killing, maiming, recruitment, abduction, sexual violence, attacks on schools/hospitals, blocking humanitarian aid.
- UN blacklists: Israel, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Russian forces, Haitian gang coalition.
- Sexual violence up 35%, often underreported.
- Rise in multiple violations affecting 3,137 children (vs. 2,684 in 2023).
- UN call to action: referenced as “war on children,” requiring urgent international intervention.
Deep Look
In a grim revelation that underscores the growing scale of global instability, the United Nations has reported a record surge in violence against children caught in armed conflicts worldwide. According to Secretary-General António Guterres’ latest annual report on Children and Armed Conflict, the year 2024 marked an alarming escalation, with a 25% increase in grave violations against children under 18. These violations—ranging from killings and maimings to recruitment, sexual abuse, and denial of humanitarian access—affected tens of thousands of young lives, most of them in the world’s most violent conflict zones.
The United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations during 2024 alone. Of these, 36,221 occurred within the year, while 5,149 violations took place in previous years but were verified during this reporting period. These figures represent a disturbing continuation of a trend seen in 2023, which had already registered a 21% rise in child-related atrocities. Guterres characterized this escalation as the product of “relentless hostilities” and “the systematic exploitation of children for combat,” with increasingly destructive weapons being used in densely populated civilian areas.
Gaza and West Bank: Epicenter of Child Casualties
Among the hardest-hit regions, Gaza and the occupied West Bank witnessed the highest number of verified violations. The Israeli military was held responsible for 7,188 grave violations, including the deaths of 1,259 Palestinian children and the injury of 941 more. Despite higher casualty numbers being reported by local health authorities, the UN emphasized that it uses strict verification protocols and continues to investigate further incidents.
As a result, Israeli forces remained on the UN’s blacklist of parties violating children’s rights, alongside Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, whose attack on Israel in October 2023 initiated the ongoing conflict. Guterres expressed deep alarm at the scale of child deaths and urged all parties—particularly Israel—to uphold international humanitarian law, which mandates the protection of children, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure.
Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti: Conflict Beyond the Headlines
While the Middle East drew global attention, other regions also endured catastrophic child rights abuses:
- Democratic Republic of Congo: The UN documented 4,043 grave violations affecting 3,418 children, largely due to the activities of armed groups and a fragmented security environment.
- Somalia: Marked by persistent Al-Shabab insurgency, 2,568 violations against 1,992 children were reported.
- Nigeria: The government and insurgents were involved in 2,436 violations, targeting 1,037 children in a mix of abductions, forced recruitment, and violence.
- Haiti: In a rapidly deteriorating situation, 2,269 violations were confirmed against 1,373 children, with the rise of criminal gangs driving a cycle of violence.
For the first time, the Viv Ansanm gang coalition in Haiti was added to the UN’s blacklist. This powerful alliance of more than a dozen gangs has seized control of approximately 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and expanded into surrounding areas following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The UN attributed 411 acts of sexual violence to Viv Ansanm alone, contributing to an overall spike in gender-based violence against children.
Sexual Violence: A Silent Epidemic
Sexual violence against children increased by 35% in 2024, according to the report. These crimes are vastly underreported due to fear, stigma, and the absence of support systems in conflict zones. In Haiti, 566 cases were confirmed, affecting mostly girls, while in Congo, 358 cases of sexual abuse were reported, the majority by non-state armed groups. Somalia registered 267 violations, with at least 120 committed by Al-Shabab.
Girls were especially vulnerable to abduction, often trafficked for sexual slavery or forced into roles within militant groups. These acts violate multiple international conventions, yet enforcement remains severely lacking in many of these conflict-affected areas.
Ukraine: Another Frontline for Child Victims
In the third year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UN kept the Russian military and affiliated groups on its blacklist. The report cited 1,914 verified grave violations against 673 children. These included the killing of 94 minors, injury to 577, and attacks on 559 schools and 303 hospitals. The intensification of hostilities and deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure continue to pose existential threats to children across eastern Ukraine.
Cumulative Impact: Multiple Violations and Psychological Toll
Beyond the individual cases, the number of children experiencing multiple grave violations surged from 2,684 in 2023 to 3,137 in 2024, revealing how children are often subjected to overlapping abuses. These range from being abducted and recruited, to being raped and then denied access to aid—all while living under constant threat of death or displacement.
UN Special Representative Virginia Gamba summarized the situation starkly: “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.” Her call for immediate international intervention reflects the growing frustration within the UN over the lack of political will and enforcement mechanisms to safeguard children in war zones.
Urgent Global Call to End the “War on Children”
This report paints a devastating picture: children are not only being caught in the crossfire—they are being directly targeted. Gamba warned that the world is nearing a “point of no return” unless urgent, collective action is taken. The UN is urging all state and non-state actors to halt attacks on children, respect international law, and prioritize humanitarian access.
From Gaza to Haiti, from Ukraine to Nigeria, the same message resonates: children are paying the ultimate price for the world’s failure to resolve conflicts and uphold human rights. The time for reactive statements is over. Without swift, global action, the next UN report may reveal even darker numbers—and an even deeper moral failure.
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