Children in DRC, Somalia, Nigeria bore brunt of war in 2024 - UN
2024 saw a record 41,370 grave violations against children,the highest number verified in nearly 30 years of monitoring/
Children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, and Nigeria endured some of the worst violence in conflict zones in 2024, as thousands were killed, maimed, abducted, or forced into armed groups, according to a new report by the UN Secretary-General on children in armed conflict.
The report reveals that 2024 saw a record 41,370 grave violations against children, the highest number verified in nearly 30 years of monitoring.
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This represents a 25 per cent increase compared to 2023, marking the third year in a row with alarming rises in violence against children worldwide.
Alongside these African countries, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the Gaza Strip, and Haiti were also among the worst-affected regions.
The violations included killings, maiming, recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abduction, and denial of humanitarian access. The report confirmed that 11,967 children were killed or maimed, 7,906 were denied life-saving aid, and 7,402 were recruited or used by warring parties.
“The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball − but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings − should keep all of us awake at night,” said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba.
“This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return. I call on the international community to recommit to the universal consensus to protect children from armed conflict, and on parties to conflict to immediately end the war on children and to uphold the core principles of International Humanitarian Law that impose limits on the destruction and suffering caused by armed conflict: humanity, distinction, proportionality and necessity,” she added.
Attacks on schools rose by 44 per cent, while incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence increased by 34 per cent. Worryingly, many children were victims of multiple grave violations, including abduction, recruitment, and sexual abuse, highlighting a sharp rise in brutality.
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas, the spread of landmines, and leftover explosives have turned entire communities into death zones, the report said. These weapons were responsible for one in four child casualties in 2024.
Additionally, 3,018 children were detained for their alleged association with armed groups. Gamba emphasised that children must be treated as victims, and alternatives to detention should always be pursued.
“Children living amidst hostilities are being stripped of their childhood. Instead of recognising the special protection afforded to children, governments and armed groups around the world blatantly ignore international law that defines a child as anyone under 18. When we allow this to happen, we are not just failing to protect children – we are taking away their chance to grow up safe, to go to school, and to live a life with dignity and hope,” said Virginia Gamba.
While the report painted a grim picture, it also highlighted progress. In 2024, 16,500 children formerly associated with armed groups received protection and reintegration support - an increase from 2023. Since 2005, more than 200,000 children have been released from armed forces or groups.
The United Nations(UN) is calling on governments and armed groups to urgently uphold international laws that protect children and to end the violence destroying their childhoods.
“With the record number of children suffering from the harms of avoidable conflict in 2024, we face a choice that defines who we are: to care, or to turn away. Childhood should not be a casualty of war. Peace should not be the price of indifference. We all share the duty to act - with urgency, with determination - to bring this suffering to an end. Not tomorrow. Not someday. Today,” stated Virginia Gamba.
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