UN reports 41,370 grave violations against children in armed conflict in 2024

UNITED NATIONS, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children in armed conflict in 2024, according to a report released on Thursday.

The number of grave violations, which affected 22,495 children in 25 situations, represents a 25 percent surge in comparison with 2023.

Of the overall grave violations, 36,221 were committed in 2024 and 5,149 were committed earlier but verified in 2024. Of the children affected, 14,383 were boys, 7,320 were girls, and 792 were sex-unknown, shows the UN secretary-general's annual report on children and armed conflict.

The highest numbers of grave violations were verified in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti.

The highest numbers of violations were the killing and maiming of 11,967 children, followed by the denial of humanitarian access, the recruitment and use of children, and the abduction of children.

The denial of humanitarian access has reached an alarming scale, with more humanitarian workers, including UN personnel, killed in 2024 than ever before.

Parties to conflict attacked aid convoys and personnel, arbitrarily detained humanitarian personnel, restricted humanitarian activities and movements, adopted bureaucratic and administrative barriers and interfered with humanitarian operations, resulting in children being left without access to healthcare, education, protection and life-saving necessities, says the report. ■