New York [US], June 20 (ANI/WAM): Violence against children in armed conflict zones surged to unprecedented levels in 2024, according to a new United Nations report, marking the worst year for child rights violations since the UN began its monitoring nearly 30 years ago.
The UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict revealed a staggering 25 percent increase in grave violations against children compared to 2023. The report verified 41,370 grave violations, with 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 previously committed but only verified last year — the highest annual total ever recorded by the UN’s monitoring mechanisms.
“This represents a disturbing continuation of an upward trend,” the report noted, highlighting that 2023 itself had already seen a 21 percent increase over the previous year.
The data paints a grim picture: over 4,500 children were killed and more than 7,000 injured in 2024 due to relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks. Additionally, 22,495 children were victims of multiple violations, including recruitment as child soldiers, abductions, sexual violence, and attacks on schools and hospitals.
The report tracked violations in about 20 conflict zones globally, but the occupied Palestinian territories ranked as the most severely impacted. More than 8,500 grave violations were reported in the region, the majority attributed to Israeli forces, including over 4,800 in the Gaza Strip alone.
The UN confirmed 1,259 Palestinian children were killed in Gaza, with an additional 4,470 child fatalities still under verification, making it one of the deadliest years for children in the territory. The report also detailed Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, where over 500 children were killed or injured in 2024.
The findings underscore the intensifying impact of armed conflicts on children, prompting renewed calls for adherence to international humanitarian law and the urgent protection of minors in war zones. (ANI/WAM)
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