For first time in 30 years, states and not armed groups are top killers of children in war, UN says

For first time in 30 years, states and not armed groups are top killers of children in war, UN says

NEW YORK CITY: For the first time since the UN’s mandate on children and armed conflict was established three decades ago, government forces, rather than nonstate armed groups, are responsible for the majority of grave violations against children, the latest report from the UN secretary-general revealed.

The organization’s child rights chief said the findings reflected “a worrying shift” and “a deeper erosion of respect for international law.”

The report, published on Wednesday, found 38,558 verified grave violations against 24,174 children during 2025, the highest number since the mandate was created in December 1996.

Government forces were the leading perpetrators of attacks that killed or maimed, assaults on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access, patterns the report said “reflect persistent and blatant disregard for international law and for the rights and special protections owed to children across all contexts.”