United Nations (Enmaeya News) — The United Nations warned Thursday that violence against children in conflict zones surged to “unprecedented levels” in 2024, reaching a record high since the organization began monitoring such violations nearly 30 years ago.
According to the UN Secretary-General’s annual report, cited by Agence France-Presse, the number of verified grave violations against children rose by 25% compared to 2023.
In total, the report confirmed 41,370 serious violations involving children in 2024. That figure includes 36,221 violations committed in 2024 and 5,149 previously unverified cases confirmed during the same year — the highest annual number ever recorded since the UN began tracking such data.
The report also noted that 2023 had previously set a record with a 21% year-over-year increase in child-related violations.
More than 4,500 children were killed and over 7,000 were injured in 2024 alone, the report said, adding that children continue to bear “the brunt of ongoing hostilities and indiscriminate attacks.”
Additionally, the number of children who were victims of multiple violations reached 22,495 — a significant increase.
Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, said, “The cries of 22,495 innocent children — who should have been learning to read or play soccer — instead had to learn how to survive gunfire and explosions. That should keep us all awake at night.”
“This must be a wake-up call. We have reached a point of no return,” she added.
Each year, the UN compiles data on violations affecting children under 18 across roughly 20 conflict zones worldwide. The report is accompanied by a “list of shame” naming parties responsible for these violations.
New to this year’s list is a coalition of Haitian gangs accused of recruiting, kidnapping, killing, and sexually assaulting children. The Israeli military, listed last year alongside the Palestinian armed group Hamas, remains on the list.
Highest Toll in Palestinian Territories
The Palestinian territories topped the list of violations, with over 8,500 confirmed cases — more than 4,800 violations were recorded in Gaza alone.
The report confirmed the deaths of 1,259 Palestinian children in Gaza and noted that the UN is currently verifying reports of an additional 4,470 children killed in the territory in 2024.
The report also criticized Israeli military operations in Lebanon, where over 500 children were reportedly killed or injured last year.
After the Palestinian territories, the highest numbers of child rights violations in 2024 were recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (over 4,000), Somalia (more than 2,500), Nigeria (about 2,500), and Haiti (over 2,200).
Haitian gang coalition “Viv Ansanm” was singled out as responsible for a 490% surge in violations in that country, including recruitment, rape, mutilation, and killing of children.
Colombia was also highlighted in the report, with a sharp rise in the number of children forcibly recruited by armed groups. In 2024, 450 children were reportedly recruited, compared to 262 in 2023. The Colombian drug cartel “Clan del Golfo” was among those listed.
The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces — both engaged in conflict for over two years — also remained on the list.
Russia was listed again due to its ongoing war in Ukraine, with the report noting a 105% increase in grave violations against children between 2023 and 2024.
