2024, One of the Worst Years for Children - Almost one in five children live in conflict zones, says Unicef : Julian Borger / The Guardian

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Summary
Nearly one in five children globally—over 473 million—live in conflict zones, a figure that has doubled since the 1990s, according to UNICEF. The organization highlighted 2024 as one of the worst years on record for children in conflict, citing over 32,990 verified grave violations against 22,557 children, the highest since monitoring began. Conflict devastates children’s access to education, healthcare, and nutrition, with over 52 million children deprived of schooling and 40% of unvaccinated children living in war-torn areas. In Gaza, where 44% of casualties are children, mental health crises are widespread, with many children expressing fear of imminent death. UNICEF warned that this level of harm cannot become the “new normal” and called for urgent global action to protect children and restore their rights.

Quotes by Catherine Russell
“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.”
“We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the world’s unchecked wars.”
“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.”
“This must not be the new normal. We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the world’s unchecked wars.”