UN Report Finds Record High Grave Violations Against Children in 2024
UN Report Finds Record High Grave Violations Against Children in 2024
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A new report by the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict reveals that grave violations against children in armed conflicts reached an unprecedented high in 2024, marking the third consecutive year of alarming figures, according to Reliefweb.int. The report, which verified 41,370 grave violations, represents a 25% increase compared to 2023.
The violence has been especially brutal in several key conflict zones. The countries with the highest levels of violations were Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (particularly the Gaza Strip), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti.
Among the verified violations, killing and maiming was the most prevalent, affecting 11,967 children. The report also documented a staggering 7,906 incidents of denial of humanitarian access and verified the recruitment and use of 7,402 children by parties to conflict. Other significant increases include a 44% rise in attacks on schools and a 34% rise in sexual violence. The number of children who were victims of multiple grave violations increased by 17%.
The report notes that while non-state armed groups were responsible for nearly half of the grave violations, government forces were the main perpetrators of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian aid.
In Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a total of 8,554 grave violations were verified, with Israeli forces responsible for almost 85% of them. This included the verified killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and the injury of 941 others in Gaza.
