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x2024: One of the worst years for children in conflict, says UNICEF
Date: 22nd January 2025
Category:
Other human rights treaties and mechanisms, General principles
UNICEF has called 2024 one of the most devastating years for children affected by conflict, with unprecedented numbers of young lives disrupted by violence, displacement, and deprivation.
Over 473 million children—nearly one in six globally—now live in conflict zones, the highest number since World War II. By the end of 2023, 47.2 million children had been forcibly displaced due to violence, with conflicts intensifying in countries like Haiti, Sudan, and Ukraine.
Children in war zones face multiple crises, including malnutrition, missed education, and a lack of access to healthcare. In 2024, more than 52 million children in conflict-affected regions were out of school, with educational infrastructure destroyed or repurposed. Rising malnutrition is also a grave concern, with half a million people in conflict zones living in famine-like conditions.
The mental toll on children is immense, with many suffering from trauma, fear, and depression. The situation is particularly dire for women and girls, with a sharp increase in sexual violence against children reported in Haiti and other conflict zones.
“By almost every measure, 2024 has been one of the worst years on record for children in conflict in UNICEF’s history—both in terms of the number of children affected and the level of impact on their lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “A child growing up in a conflict zone is far more likely to be out of school, malnourished, or forced from their home—too often repeatedly—compared to a child living in places of peace. This must not be the new normal. We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the world’s unchecked wars.”
UNICEF is calling for all parties involved in conflicts, and for those with influence over them, to take decisive action to end the suffering of children, to ensure their rights are upheld, and to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.