UN: With Gaza war being main contributor, violence against children hit unprecedented high in 2024

From Gaza to the Democratic Republic of Congo, violence against children in conflict zones reached “unprecedented levels” in 2024, a United Nations annual report says.

“In 2024, violence against children in armed conflict reached unprecedented levels, with a staggering 25 percent surge in the number of grave violations in comparison with 2023,” according to the report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The report verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024 — including 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed previously but confirmed in 2024 — the highest number since the monitoring tool was established nearly 30 years ago.

The new high beats 2023, another record year, which itself represented a 21 percent increase over the preceding year.

In its appendix, a “list of shame” calls out those responsible for these violations — a powerful coalition of Haitian gangs was added this year — which include child killings and mutilations, recruitment to violence, kidnappings, denial of humanitarian aid and sexual violence.

The IDF, which was named last year along with Hamas, remain on the list.

The Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank occupy the top spot in the dismal rankings, with more than 8,500 serious violations, the vast majority attributed to Israeli forces, including more than 4,800 in the Gaza Strip.

This figure includes confirmation of 1,259 Palestinian children killed in Gaza, and the UN notes it is currently verifying information on an additional 4,470 children killed in 2024 in the war-torn territory.

Violence erupted there following Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel says Hamas uses civilians as human shields in what leads to higher death tolls in Gaza.

The report also calls out Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, where more than 500 children were killed or injured last year.

Following the Palestinian territories, the countries where the UN recorded the most violence against children in 2024 are: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (more than 4,000 grave violations), Somalia (more than 2,500), Nigeria (nearly 2,500), and Haiti (more than 2,200).