UN Reports 1,415 Child Casualties and 4,582 Grave Violations Against Children in Afghanistan

UN Reports 1,415 Child Casualties and 4,582 Grave Violations Against Children in Afghanistan
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The United Nations has documented 4,582 grave violations against children in Afghanistan between January 2023 and December 2025, including the killing and injury of at least 1,415 children. The report warns that unexploded ordnance, poverty, displacement and restrictions affecting women and girls continue to place children at serious risk.

According to the report, 446 children were killed and 969 injured during the three-year period, with explosives—particularly unexploded remnants of war—accounting for around 80% of the casualties. Some children were also reportedly killed or injured in attacks and shelling attributed to Pakistani forces near Afghanistan’s border regions.

Although the total number of grave violations fell by 38% compared with the previous three-year period, the UN cautioned that this decline does not necessarily indicate an overall improvement. Denial of humanitarian access was the most frequently documented violation, with 2,241 cases—an increase of 189% from the previous period.

The UN stressed the need to remove explosive remnants of war, ensure unimpeded humanitarian assistance and strengthen protections for children affected by conflict and the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.