Violence Against Children in Conflict Hits New High: UN

Violence against children in conflict zones reached unprecedented levels in 2024, with a staggering 25% surge in grave violations compared to the previous year, according to the United Nations annual report released on Thursday.

The report, issued by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, verified 41,370 grave violations against children—36,221 of them committed in 2024, and 5,149 previously committed but confirmed this year. This marks the highest figure since the UN began tracking such data nearly 30 years ago.

In 2023, which itself had set a record with a 21% year-on-year increase, the numbers were already alarming. But 2024 has surpassed that, highlighting a disturbing escalation in child-targeted violence across conflict zones.

With more than 4,500 children killed and 7,000 injured, the report stressed that children continue to bear “the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks.”

A particularly grim finding: 22,495 children were victims of multiple violations, including death, injury, recruitment, and sexual violence.

"The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball—but instead are forced to survive bombings and gunfire—should keep all of us awake at night,” said Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. “This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return."

The UN’s annual report documents serious violations against children (under 18) in roughly 20 conflict zones. It includes an appendix—often called the “list of shame”—that names perpetrators of these violations.

Most Affected Regions

The Palestinian territories topped the list in 2024, with over 8,500 grave violations, most attributed to Israeli forces, including more than 4,800 in Gaza alone. The report confirmed 1,259 child deaths in Gaza and is currently verifying another 4,470 reported fatalities.

The violence follows Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered sustained military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. In Lebanon, more than 500 children were reported killed or injured by Israeli strikes in 2024.

Other countries with the highest number of verified violations include:

Democratic Republic of the Congo – over 4,000 violations

Somalia – over 2,500

Nigeria – nearly 2,500

Haiti – more than 2,200

New Additions to the ‘List of Shame’

Among new entities added to the UN’s blacklist:

Haitian gang coalition “Viv Ansanm”, responsible for a 490% surge in child rights violations, including recruitment, killings, and sexual violence

Colombian cartel Clan del Golfo, accused of child recruitment

Colombia also saw a sharp rise in forced recruitment, with 450 children affected in 2024, up from 262 in 2023.

Continued Concern in Sudan, Ukraine

In Sudan, both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces remain on the list amid their ongoing civil conflict.

The Russian army also remains listed for violations in Ukraine, where the report notes a 105% increase in grave child rights violations between 2023 and 2024.