UN Reports Record 41,000 Grave Violations Against Children in Armed Conflicts
UN Reports Record 41,000 Grave Violations Against Children in Armed Conflicts
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The United Nations has verified 41,370 grave violations against children in armed conflicts during 2024, marking the highest figure recorded since monitoring began. The annual report, released Thursday, shows a 25% increase from 2023, with 11,967 children killed or maimed and a 17% rise in children subjected to multiple violations.
Grave violations include recruitment and use of child soldiers, abductions, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access. The countries with the highest number of violations were Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory—particularly Gaza—along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti.
The UN maintained Israeli forces on its blacklist for a second consecutive year, citing 7,188 verified violations, including the deaths of 1,259 Palestinian children in Gaza. Over 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured in Gaza since October 2023, and education has been disrupted for 658,000 children.
In eastern DRC, violations have surged in 2025 amid escalating conflict, with dramatic increases in sexual violence, abductions, and attacks on infrastructure. UN officials urged stronger protection mandates and accountability. The report will be presented to the UN Security Council later this month.
