Not the new normal’ – 2024 ‘one of the worst years in UNICEF’s history’ for children in conflict

Publication Date:2024/12/28

NEW YORK, 28 December 2024 - The impact of armed conflicts on children around the world reached devastating and likely record levels in 2024, according to a review by UNICEF of the latest available data and prevailing global trends.

More children than ever are estimated to be either living in conflict zones or forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence. A record number of children affected by conflict are having their rights violated, including by being killed and injured[1], out of school, missing life-saving vaccines, and being critically malnourished. The number is only expected to grow. Conflict drives approximately 80 per cent of all humanitarian needs around the world[2], disrupting access to essentials, including safe water, food and healthcare.

Over 473 million children-more than one in six globally-now live in areas affected by conflict[3], with the world experiencing the highest number of conflicts since World War II[4]. The percentage of the world's children living in conflict zones has doubled-from around 10 per cent in the 1990s to almost 19 per cent today.[5]

By the end of 2023, 47.2 million children had been displaced due to conflict and violence[6], with trends in 2024 indicating additional displacement due to the intensification of conflicts, including in Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, the State of Palestine, and Sudan. Children account for 30 per cent of the global population, yet on average account for roughly 40 per cent of refugee populations and 49 per cent of internally displaced people. [7] In countries affected by conflict, on average over a third of the population are poor (34.8 per cent) compared to just over 10 per cent in non-conflict-affected countries[8].

"By almost every measure, 2024 has been 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," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "A child growing up in a conflict zone is far more likely to be out of school, malnourished, or forced from their home-too often repeatedly-compared to a child living in places of peace. This must not be the new normal. We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the world's unchecked wars."

In the latest available data, from 2023, the United Nations verified a record 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children[9]-the highest number since Security Council-mandated monitoring began. With the overall upward trend in the number of grave violations-for example, thousands of children have been killed and injured in Gaza, and in Ukraine, the UN verified more child casualties during the first 9 months of 2024 than during all of 2023[10]-this year is likely to see another increase.

The situation for women and girls is particularly concerning, with widespread reports of rape and sexual violence in conflict settings. In Haiti, so far this year, there has been a 1,000 per cent increase in reported incidents of sexual violence against children.[11] In situations of armed conflict, children with disabilities also tend to be disproportionately exposed to violence and rights violations.

Education has been severely disrupted in conflict zones. More than 52 million children in countries affected by conflict are estimated to be out of school. Children in the Gaza Strip, and a significant portion of children in Sudan, have missed out on more than a year of school, while in countries such as Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Syria, schools have been damaged, destroyed or repurposed, leaving millions of children without access to learning. The destruction of educational infrastructure and insecurity near schools have exacerbated an already dire situation for children's education in these regions.

Malnutrition among children in conflict zones has also risen to alarming levels, as conflict and armed violence continue to be the primary drivers of hunger in numerous hotspots, disrupting food systems, displacing populations, and obstructing humanitarian access. For example, in Sudan, famine conditions were determined in North Darfur, the first famine determination since 2017. In 2024, more than half a million people in five conflict-affected countries are estimated to be living in IPC* Phase 5 conditions, the most extreme food insecurity situations.[12]

Conflicts are also having devastating effect on children's access to critical healthcare. Around forty per cent of un- and under-vaccinated children live in countries that are either partially or entirely affected by conflict.[13] These children are often the most vulnerable to disease outbreaks like measles and polio, because of disruptions and lack of access to security, nutrition, and health services.

The impact on children's mental health is also huge. Exposure to violence, destruction and loss of loved ones can manifest in children through reactions such as depression, nightmares and difficulty sleeping, aggressive or withdrawn behaviour, sadness and fear, among others.

2024 has become the deadliest on record for humanitarian personnel, with the recorded deaths of 281 aid workers globally, surpassing previous records.[14]

"Children in war zones face a daily struggle for survival that deprives them of a childhood," said Russell. "Their schools are bombed, homes destroyed, and families torn apart. They lose not only their safety and access to basic life-sustaining necessities, but also their chance to play, to learn, and to simply be children. The world is failing these children. As we look towards 2025, we must do more to turn the tide and save and improve the lives of children. "

UNICEF is calling for all parties to conflict, and for those with influence over them, to take decisive action to end the suffering of children, to ensure their rights are upheld, and to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.

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Notes for editors:

Find out more about children in conflict and UNICEF's change agenda for protecting children in armed conflict.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a global scale to classify food and nutrition crises. More information about the IPC is available here.

UNICEF is the world's leading humanitarian organization focused on children. We work in the most challenging areas to provide protection, healthcare and immunizations, education, safe water and sanitation and nutrition. As part of the United Nations, our unrivaled reach spans more than 190 countries and territories, ensuring we are on the ground to help the most disadvantaged children. While part of the UN system, UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations to finance our life-saving work. Please visit unicef.caand follow us on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.

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