KEY POINTS
- Thousands of children have been killed or injured in Gaza.
- 52 million children in conflict-affected countries are out of school.
- Malnutrition among children in conflict zones has risen to alarming levels.
NEW YORK: The impact of armed conflicts on children worldwide reached devastating and record levels in the outgoing year, according to an assessment by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The study, released on Saturday, finds that the rights of a record number of children are being violated, including by being killed and injured, missing out of school and life-saving vaccines, and being critically malnourished.
“More children than ever are estimated to be either living in conflict zones or forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence,” it said.
It said that conflict drives approximately 80 per cent of all humanitarian needs around the world, disrupting access to essentials, including safe water, food and healthcare.
From Palestine to Myanmar, Haiti to Sudan, the world is experiencing the highest number of conflicts since the World War II. Almost 19 per cent of the world’s children – over 473 million – now live-in conflict zones, and 47.2 million have been displaced by conflict and violence.
Thousands of children have been killed or injured in Gaza, while in Ukraine, the UN documented more child casualties in the first nine months of 2024 than in the entirety of 2023. Reports of rape and sexual violence against women and girls in conflict zones have been widespread.
In Haiti, reports of sexual violence against children have surged by 1,000 per cent this year. Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable, often facing disproportionate exposure to violence and violations of their rights in conflict situations.
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An estimated 52 million children in conflict-affected countries are out of school. In the Gaza Strip and parts of Sudan, many children have missed over a year of education. In nations like Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Syria, schools have been damaged, destroyed, or repurposed, depriving millions of children of access to learning opportunities.
The destruction of educational infrastructure and the insecurity surrounding schools have deepened the crisis, further compromising children’s education in these regions.
Malnutrition and famine
Malnutrition among children in conflict zones has also risen to alarming levels, as conflict and armed violence continue to be the primary drivers of hunger in numerous hotspots, disrupting food systems, displacing populations, and obstructing humanitarian access.
In Sudan, famine was declared in North Darfur—the first such determination since 2017. In 2024, over half a million people across five conflict-affected countries are estimated to be living in the most extreme levels of food insecurity.
Conflicts are also severely impacting children’s access to essential healthcare. Nearly 40 per cent of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children live in countries that are partially or entirely affected by conflict. These children are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of diseases like measles and polio due to disruptions in healthcare, lack of security, and limited access to proper nutrition and medical services.
The toll on children’s mental health is equally profound. Exposure to violence, destruction, and the loss of loved ones often leads to conditions such as depression, nightmares, sleep disturbances, aggressive or withdrawn behaviour, sadness, fear, and other emotional challenges.
“By almost every measure, 2024 has been one of the worst years on record for children in conflict in UNICEF’s history – both in terms of the number of children affected and the level of impact on their lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“A child growing up in a conflict zone is far more likely to be out of school, malnourished, or forced from their home – too often repeatedly – compared to a child living in places of peace. This must not be the new normal. We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the world’s unchecked wars,” she said.
UNICEF has urged all parties to conflicts, and for those with influence over them, to take decisive action to end the suffering of children, to ensure their rights are upheld, and to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.
