Gaza - New York: Europe and the Arabs
A new UN report stated that grave violations against children last year reached shocking levels, increasing by 25% compared to 2023. It highlighted the impact of hostilities on children, pointing to the failure to respect international humanitarian and human rights law, the disregard for the protection of children, and the worsening humanitarian crises. According to the UN Daily News Bulletin, the report submitted by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to the General Assembly stated that the largest number of verified grave violations occurred in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti.
The largest increases in the percentage of violations occurred in Lebanon, Mozambique, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Ukraine.
The report stated that the ongoing conflicts in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, Myanmar, and Burkina Faso are the deadliest for children. The most verified violations were, in order: killing, maiming, denial of humanitarian access, recruitment and use of children, and abduction of children.
Najat Maalla M'jid, Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said, "Children are paying a heavy price. They are starving, displaced, and killed. This underscores the critical importance of ensuring lasting peace and stability, which is the only way to ensure the protection of children."
The UN report said that the scope of denial of humanitarian access has expanded to alarming levels, with the largest number of humanitarian workers, including UN personnel, killed in 2024, and an unprecedented number of children denied access to basic and humanitarian services, including life-saving ones.
The largest number of denials of humanitarian access verified by the UN were in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, Afghanistan, and Haiti. Attacks on civilian objects and civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, have led to a significant increase in children's vulnerability, increasing by 44% during 2024. 2,374 attacks on schools and hospitals were verified, most of them in Ukraine, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Haiti.
The report also highlights the Special Representative's continued engagement with parties to build partnerships and eliminate and prevent grave violations. The UN report confirms that working with parties to conflict is paying off, citing examples including the Central African Republic, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Sudan. It notes the release of more than 220,000 children from armed forces and groups.
The report emphasizes the urgent need to address the situation of children affected by armed conflict. UN official Najat Maalla M'jid emphasized the need to maintain and strengthen child protection resources at a time of acute humanitarian and protection needs for children. As the 30th anniversary of the mandate for children and armed conflict approaches, the UN official stressed the need for the international community to renew and strengthen its commitment to protecting children. She said, "Protecting children contributes to breaking the cycles of conflict and violence and promoting lasting peace."