The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the global impact of armed conflicts on children has reached unprecedented and potentially record levels in 2024. According to a recent review by the agency, more children than ever before are living in conflict zones or have been forcibly displaced due to violence and warfare.
UNICEF’s statement highlighted that a record number of children are experiencing severe violations of their rights, including being killed or injured, missing out on education, lacking life-saving vaccines, and suffering from critical malnutrition. The situation is expected to worsen as conflicts continue to intensify around the world.
“Conflict drives approximately 80 per cent of all humanitarian needs globally, disrupting access to essentials such as safe water, food, and healthcare,” UNICEF said. Currently, over 473 million children—more than one in six children globally—live in conflict-affected areas. The percentage of children residing in conflict zones has doubled over the past few decades, from around 10 per cent in the 1990s to nearly 19 per cent today.
As of the end of 2023, 47.2 million children were displaced due to conflict and violence. In 2024, trends indicate further displacement, with escalating conflicts in countries such as Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, the State of Palestine, and Sudan. UNICEF’s report also highlighted that while children make up 30 per cent of the global population, they account for approximately 40 per cent of refugee populations and 49 per cent of those internally displaced by conflict.
In nations affected by conflict, over a third of the population lives in poverty—compared to just over 10 per cent in non-conflict countries.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell described 2024 as one of the worst years on record for children in conflict. “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,” Russell stated. “We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage in the world’s unchecked wars.”
The year 2024 has also become the deadliest for humanitarian workers, with 281 aid workers reported killed globally—surpassing previous records. UNICEF emphasized that children in war zones face daily struggles for survival, deprived of childhood experiences such as play and education. Their homes are destroyed, their families torn apart, and their basic needs are unmet.
“The world is failing these children,” said Russell. “We must do more to turn the tide and save and improve the lives of children.”
UNICEF is calling on all parties involved in conflict and those with influence over them to take immediate action to end the suffering of children, uphold their rights, and adhere to international humanitarian law.
