The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF latest available data and current global trends, revealed that the impact of armed conflicts on children worldwide reached devastating and potentially record levels in 2024.
A statement on UNICEF’s website said that more children than ever were 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 being killed and injured, 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, 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, with the world experiencing the highest number of conflicts since World War II. 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.”
It revealed that by the end of 2023, 47.2 million children had been displaced due to conflict and violence, with trends in 2024 indicating additional displacement due to the intensification of conflicts, including in Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, the State of Palestine, and Sudan.
It added that children accounted 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
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, said, “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.
“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.”
2024 has become the deadliest on record for humanitarian personnel, with the recorded deaths of 281 aid workers globally, surpassing previous records.
“Children in war zones face a daily struggle for survival that deprives them of a childhood.
“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. “,” said Russell.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
