Mohamed Garba
The United Nations has sounded the alarm over a staggering rise in violence against children in war-torn regions, revealing in its annual report that 2024 has seen the highest number of grave violations against children since global monitoring began nearly three decades ago.
Released recently, the report details a 25 percent spike in such violations compared to 2023, which was already a record-setting year. A total of 41,370 grave violations were verified, with 36,221 committed in 2024 alone — a harrowing escalation that UN Secretary-General António Guterres called a “growing crisis.”
“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 Virginia Gamba, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. “This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return.”
Children in conflict zones are being killed, maimed, raped, kidnapped, recruited into armed groups, and denied humanitarian aid at an unprecedented rate. Over 4,500 children have been killed and 7,000 injured this year alone. The report highlights a surge in children suffering multiple forms of abuse, with more than 22,000 victims affected by two or more violations.
At the top of the UN’s “list of shame” — which identifies state and non-state actors responsible for these violations — are the Israeli armed forces and Hamas, both already listed last year. In 2024, the Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, recorded over 8,500 grave violations. More than 1,200 Palestinian children have been confirmed killed in Gaza, with another 4,470 deaths under verification.
The spike in Gaza follows the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered a sweeping Israeli military response. The report also documents over 500 children killed or injured during Israeli operations in Lebanon.
Other conflict zones topping the report’s list include the Democratic Republic of the Congo (over 4,000 violations), Somalia (more than 2,500), Nigeria (nearly 2,500), and Haiti (over 2,200). In Nigeria, the violations primarily stem from attacks by armed groups in the northeast, including Boko Haram and ISWAP, which continue to abduct, conscript, and brutalize children.
This year’s “list of shame” also includes new entrants: Viv Ansanm, a powerful Haitian gang coalition blamed for a 490% surge in violations including murder, sexual violence, and the forced recruitment of children. Clan del Golfo, a Colombian drug cartel accused of recruiting children into armed activity.
In Colombia, child recruitment cases jumped from 262 in 2023 to 450 this year. In Sudan, both the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces remain on the list amid an ongoing civil war, as does the Russian army, which saw a 105 percent increase in child rights violations in Ukraine between 2023 and 2024.
Gamba emphasized the urgent need for accountability and prevention. “This report should not be viewed as just a tally of horrors,” she said. “It’s a call to every government, armed group, and international body: children must never be the target of war.”
The UN called for stronger international enforcement of humanitarian law, greater protection for children in conflict zones, and a renewed push for peace. Without this, it warns, the world risks condemning a generation to grow up in fear, trauma, and loss.
