UNICEF: 2024 is one of the worst years for children in conflict
UNICEF said in a statement issued on Saturday that estimates indicate that the number of children living in conflict areas or who have been forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence is greater than ever before.
She added that a record number of children affected by the conflict are being subjected to violations of their rights, including killing, injury, being out of school, missing out on life-saving vaccines, and severe malnutrition.
She noted that conflict causes about 80 percent of all humanitarian needs worldwide, disrupting access to necessities, including safe water, food and health care.
She explained that more than 473 million children – that is, more than one in six children globally – now live in areas affected by conflicts, as the world is witnessing the highest number of conflicts since World War II.
The proportion of the world’s children living in conflict zones has doubled, from about 10 percent in the 1990s to nearly 19 percent today.
More displacement
By the end of 2023, 47.2 million children had been displaced by conflict and violence, with trends in 2024 indicating additional displacement due to intensifying conflicts, including in Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, the State of Palestine and Sudan, UNICEF said.
Children represent 30 percent of the world’s population, yet on average they constitute nearly 40 percent of the refugee population and 49 percent of internally displaced people.
The organization’s executive director, Catherine Russell, said: “By almost all measures, 2024 was 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.”.
added: “We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage in the world’s uncontrolled wars.”.
UNICEF noted that according to the latest available data from 2023, the United Nations verified a record 32,990 serious violations against 22,557 children – the highest number since the start of Security Council-mandated monitoring.
She added that with the general upward trend in the number of serious violations – for example – thousands of children were killed and injured in Gaza and in Ukraine. The United Nations verified more child casualties during the first nine months of 2024 than in all of 2023. She warned that this year is likely to witness another increase.
Children receive clean, safe water from a station set up by UNICEF in the village of Al-Serif, Darfur.
Loss of education
UNICEF noted that the situation of women and girls is particularly alarming, with widespread reports of rape and sexual violence in conflict settings.
In situations of armed conflict, children with disabilities are disproportionately exposed to violence and rights violations, according to the UNICEF review.
Regarding the disruption of education in conflict areas, the United Nations said that estimates indicate that more than 52 million children in countries affected by conflicts are out of school.
She said that children in the Gaza Strip, and a large proportion of children in Sudan, have lost more than a year of schooling, while in countries such as Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria, schools have been damaged, destroyed or reused, leaving millions of children without access to learning.
Two boys play in a reception center in the city of Raqqa in northern Syria. Their families recently returned to the country.
A daily struggle for survival
UNICEF also noted that malnutrition among children in conflict zones has risen to alarming levels, as conflict and armed violence remain the main drivers of hunger in many hotspots, disrupting food systems, displacing populations and impeding humanitarian access.
She cited the announcement of famine conditions in North Darfur, the first case of famine since 2017.
The UN organization said that conflicts also have a devastating impact on children’s ability to access critical health care.
She added that about forty percent of children who are unvaccinated or have not received adequate vaccines live in countries partially or completely affected by conflict.
She also pointed out the huge impact on children’s mental health, as exposure to violence, destruction and the loss of loved ones can manifest in children through reactions such as depression, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, aggressive or withdrawn behaviour, sadness and fear, among others.
The Executive Director of UNICEF said: “Children in war zones face a daily struggle for survival that deprives them of childhood.”.
added: “The world is failing to help these children. As we look to 2025, we must do more to turn the tide and save and improve children’s lives.”.
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