Quick summary:
• Over 473 million children—1 in 6 globally—lived in conflict zones in 2024, nearly double the percentage in the 1990s.
• 47.2 million children were forcibly displaced by conflict and violence, with children making up 40% of refugees and nearly half of internally displaced people.
• Grave violations against children, including killings, maimings, and sexual violence, reached record levels, with thousands killed or injured in Gaza and Ukraine in 2024.
• More than 52 million children were out of school due to conflict, as educational infrastructure in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine was destroyed or repurposed.
• Malnutrition skyrocketed, with over half a million people in conflict zones experiencing famine-like conditions, disproportionately affecting children.
• Children in war zones face severe mental health impacts, including depression, nightmares, and behavioral issues, as violence and loss disrupt their lives.
• Humanitarian access is increasingly restricted, with 2024 being the deadliest year on record for aid workers, complicating relief efforts.
More than 473 million children—1 in 6 globally—are living in conflict zones, making 2024 one of the most devastating years for children in conflict in the history of UNICEF. This grim reality reflects a world marred by escalating wars, displacement, and systemic failures to protect the most vulnerable. UNICEF’s Executive Director Catherine Russell warned, “We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the world’s unchecked wars.”
The report sheds light on a stark reality: children affected by conflicts are increasingly deprived of education, healthcare, and basic necessities. Entire childhoods are being shaped by war, with devastating consequences for future generations.
A record number of children impacted by conflict are having their rights brutally violated.
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) December 28, 2024
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. pic.twitter.com/7NsDhqHanl
As conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and Haiti intensified in 2024, displacement reached unprecedented levels. By the end of 2023, over 47.2 million children had been forcibly displaced due to violence and war, with the numbers climbing further in 2024. Children account for 40% of global refugees and nearly half of all internally displaced people, despite making up just 30% of the world’s population.
The number of children living in conflict zones has almost doubled since the 1990s, increasing from 10% to 19%. These children face disproportionate risks of malnutrition, homelessness, disease, and violence. In many cases, they are forced to flee repeatedly, losing any semblance of stability in their lives.
Grave violations of children’s rights, including killings, maimings, and sexual violence, have surged. In 2023 alone, the United Nations verified 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children—the highest number ever recorded.
UNICEF expects 2024 to exceed those figures, citing examples such as Gaza, where thousands of children have been killed or injured, and Ukraine, which saw more child casualties in the first nine months of 2024 than in all of 2023.
The situation is particularly dire for vulnerable groups:
• Girls face heightened risks of sexual violence. Haiti reported a 1,000% increase in child sexual violence cases in 2024.
• Children with disabilities are disproportionately affected, often facing neglect and violence in conflict zones.
Education and healthcare in ruins
The destruction of infrastructure and prolonged insecurity have disrupted essential services for children, including education and healthcare.
• Education: More than 52 million children are out of school in conflict-affected countries.
• In Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, schools have been bombed, repurposed, or abandoned, leaving millions without access to learning.
• Many children in Gaza and Sudan have missed more than a year of education due to prolonged violence.
• Healthcare: Around 40% of unvaccinated or undervaccinated children live in conflict zones, making them particularly vulnerable to preventable diseases such as measles and polio.
Conflict is the leading driver of hunger, and malnutrition rates in war-torn regions are skyrocketing. In 2024, more than half a million people across five conflict-affected countries faced famine-like conditions (IPC Phase 5). These dire circumstances are exacerbated by the destruction of food systems, displacement of populations, and restricted humanitarian access.
Children bear the brunt of this crisis:
• Malnutrition is stunting their growth and development.
• In Sudan, famine conditions were determined in North Darfur—the first such determination since 2017.
The mental health toll on children in conflict zones is severe. Exposure to violence, destruction, and loss manifests in depression, nightmares, and behavioral changes. Many children grapple with fear, sadness, and withdrawal, while others show signs of aggression and hopelessness.
“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.”
Aid workers face increasing dangers in delivering assistance to children and families. In 2024, 281 humanitarian personnel were killed globally—the highest number on record. Attacks on aid workers further restrict access to life-saving services, worsening conditions for children in conflict zones.
Governments and international organizations must prioritize adhering to international humanitarian law to ensure children’s safety.
UNICEF is urging global leaders to act decisively to end the suffering of children in war zones. Investments in education, healthcare, and food security are critical to safeguarding their future. The organization is also calling on parties to conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.
“As we look towards 2025, we must do more to turn the tide and save and improve the lives of children,” said Russell. “The world is failing these children, and it is our responsibility to act now to protect them.”
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