Armed conflict

UN Reports Record Violence Against Children in War Zones

JUN 20 2025·Updated JUN 21 2025

Story

Above: Injured Palestinians, including children, are being taken to the Kuwait Field Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on June 11, 2025. Image credit: Hani Alshaer/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Facts

The UN verified 41,370 grave violations against children in armed conflict during 2024 — a 25% surge from 2023 and the highest number since monitoring began nearly 30 years ago. The violations include killing, maiming, recruiting and abducting children, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian aid.
Childrenandarmedconflict
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Lemonde
In its annual report released on Thursday, the UN documented that 22,495 children were affected by violations in 2024, with armed groups responsible for almost 50% of abuses and government forces being the main perpetrators of killings, school attacks, and denial of humanitarian access. The number of children subjected to multiple violations increased from 2,684 in 2023 to 3,137 in 2024.
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Sfgate
Childrenandarmedconflict
The report found that Palestinian territories recorded the highest number of violations, with over 8,500 serious incidents, with the vast majority attributed to Israeli forces, including more than 4,800 in the Gaza Strip. The UN confirmed 1,259 Palestinian children were killed in Gaza and is currently verifying information on an additional 4,470 children killed in 2024.
Al Jazeera
Timesofisrael
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) recorded over 4,000 grave violations against children, Somalia reported more than 2,500 violations, Nigeria documented nearly 2,500 cases, and Haiti registered more than 2,200 verified violations.
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Lemonde
Sexual violence against children surged by 35% in 2024, with Haiti reporting the highest number of cases at 566 children affected, followed by Nigeria with 419 cases, the DRC with 358 incidents, and Somalia with 267 cases. The UN emphasized that these numbers are vastly underreported due to stigmatization and safety concerns.
Sfgate
ReliefWeb
The UN maintained Israeli forces on its blacklist for a second consecutive year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations by its military. It also kept Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the list following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as well as Russian armed forces for a third year due to violations in Ukraine.
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Independent

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The Spin

Narrative A

The unprecedented surge in child casualties reflects the brutal reality of modern warfare, where combatants deliberately target civilian populations. These violations represent systematic war crimes that demand immediate international intervention and accountability. The international community must impose stronger sanctions and enforcement mechanisms to protect innocent children from becoming casualties of adult conflicts.

UN News

France 24

Al Jazeera

Narrative B

Military operations in conflict zones face complex challenges where armed groups deliberately use children as human shields and operate from civilian areas, including schools and hospitals. Forces must balance legitimate security objectives with civilian protection while confronting adversaries who exploit international humanitarian law. The verification process often lacks context about the operational environment and tactical constraints faced by military personnel.

Save the Children

Amnesty International

Sky News