Violence against children caught in escalating global conflicts reached unprecedented levels in 2024, with Gaza, the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti among the worst affected, according to a United Nations report released Thursday.
The latest annual report on children in armed conflict, presented by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, revealed a staggering 25% increase in verified grave violations against children under 18 last year, following a 21% rise in 2023.
In total, the U.N. verified more than 41,000 violations, encompassing a harrowing range of abuses: killings, maiming, recruitment and abduction, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian aid.
“Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks,” Guterres said, lamenting the collapse of cease-fires and peace agreements amid deepening humanitarian crises.
He highlighted disturbing warfare tactics, including deliberate targeting of children, the use of increasingly destructive weapons in populated areas and the systematic exploitation of children as combatants.
