A recent report indicates a devastating surge in the number of children killed or injured in conflicts around the world last year. The report highlights the increasing use of explosive weapons in urban areas as a primary driver of this alarming trend.
According to the report, the number of children killed or maimed in conflicts reached a record high in 2024. Data reveals a significant increase compared to previous years, with a staggering 42% rise since 2020. This surge is attributed to the intensification of conflicts in urban settings, where children are increasingly vulnerable to the indiscriminate effects of explosive weapons.
The report emphasizes that children are no longer primarily succumbing to malnutrition, disease, or the collapse of healthcare systems in war zones. Instead, they are increasingly becoming direct casualties of bombs, missiles, and drones striking hospitals, schools, and residential areas. This shift underscores a disturbing trend of modern warfare’s disproportionate impact on children.
The use of explosive weapons accounted for over 70% of child casualties in conflict zones last year, compared to an average of 59% between 2020 and 2024. This stark statistic highlights the devastating consequences of employing such weapons in populated areas.
“The world is witnessing a deliberate destruction of childhood, and the evidence is undeniable,” stated a representative from the organization behind the report. “Children are paying the ultimate price in today’s wars. Missiles are falling where children sleep, play, and learn, turning the safest places, like their homes and schools, into death traps.”
The report identifies specific conflict zones, including Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and Syria, as particularly dangerous for children. The situation in Gaza is described as the deadliest conflict for children in recent years, with thousands of young lives lost since the start of hostilities.
