2024: ‘One of the worst years in history for children in conflict’
27 December 2024
2024 has been a devastating year for children in conflict, with more than 400,000 children killed or injured in violence, according to a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The report, released on Tuesday, found that the number of children killed or injured in conflict in 2024 was the highest in a single year since the UN began keeping records in 1980.
“2024 has been one of the worst years in history for children in conflict,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Children have been killed, maimed, and traumatized on a scale that is simply unacceptable.”
The report found that the vast majority of children killed or injured in conflict were in just a few countries: Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
“These children are paying the price for wars that they did not start and have no control over,” said Russell. “They are being killed, maimed, raped, and recruited as soldiers. They are being denied their right to education, health care, and a safe home.”
In addition to the children who were killed or injured, millions more were displaced by conflict. The report found that more than 30 million children were displaced by conflict in 2024, the highest number since World War II.
“These children are facing tremendous challenges,” said Russell. “They have lost their homes, their schools, and their families. They are at risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse. They need our help.”
UNICEF is calling on all parties to conflict to protect children. The agency is also calling for increased funding for humanitarian assistance for children in conflict-affected countries.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer,” said Russell. “We must act now to protect children in conflict and to give them the future they deserve.”
2024 ‘one of the worst years in history for children in conflict’
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