About 473 million, or more than one in six children, are said to be living in war zones around the world, according to the United Nations Children's Fund.
UNICEF's statement came on Saturday as conflict continued to rage around the world, including in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, among other areas.
In Israel the devastating war in Gaza especially, at least 17,492 children They are said to have been killed in the nearly 15-month war that has resulted in the destruction of many areas.
“By almost every measure, 2024 has been one of the worst years for vulnerable children UNICEFchildren's history – in terms of the number of children affected and the impact on their lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Russell said that a child who grows up in a conflict zone is more likely to be out of school, malnourished, or forced to leave their home than a child who lives in a conflict-free environment.
“This should not be unusual. “We cannot allow the generation of children to be destroyed in the world's unstoppable wars,” said the official.
The number of children living in conflict zones has doubled – from 10 percent in the 1990s to nearly 19 percent today, UNICEF said.
According to reports, 47.2 million children have been displaced by conflict and violence by the end of 2023.
The trends in 2024 show an increase in migration as various conflicts have escalated, including in Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, the Palestinian territories and Sudan.
In addition, in the latest information, since 2023, the UN confirmed 32,990 serious violations against 22,557 children – the highest number since the UN Security Council mandate, UNICEF said.
There is an upward trend in the number of serious violations, and this year may see another increase, as “thousands of children have been killed and injured in Gaza, and in Ukraine“, the organization said.
Sexual violence against children has increased, their education has been disrupted, the risk of child malnutrition has increased and armed conflicts have seriously damaged children's mental health, UNICEF said.
“The world is failing these children. As we look to 2025, we must do more to make a difference and save and improve children's lives,” said Russell.
Gaza children 'cold, sick, depressed'
In Gaza – where the Israeli army has killed more women and children in the last year than in the recent conflict in one year, Oxfam said in September – the ongoing war is “terrible” for children, UNICEF Communication specialist Rosalia Bollen said finally. week at the press conference.
“The children in Gaza are cold, sick and sad,” Bollen said last Friday.
About 96 percent of women and children in Gaza cannot meet their nutritional needs, he said, lamenting the lack of aid that can reach children in the Strip.
“Gaza must be one of the most depressing places on Earth for humanitarians. Every small effort to save a child's life is met with terrible destruction,” Bollen said.
“For more than 14 months, children have been vulnerable to these challenges.”
Bollen said many of the children in the besieged areas do not have winter clothing, have to search for food in the garbage and are suffering from diseases.
He urged the use of political capital and diplomatic leverage to encourage the evacuation of injured children and their parents from Gaza to medical facilities in East Jerusalem or elsewhere.
“This war should trouble all of us. The children of Gaza can't wait,” he pushed.