Israel Leads in Child Rights Violations : UN

COLOMBO (News 1st); A staggering 41,370 grave violations against children were documented and verified by the United Nations in 2024, marking a 25% increase from the previous year and the third consecutive annual rise, according to the UN Secretary-General’s latest report on Children and Armed Conflict.

Of these violations, 22,495 directly targeted children, while the remainder involved attacks on schools, hospitals, and humanitarian infrastructure meant to serve them.

“The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night,” said Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.

The report highlights that these figures only reflect independently verified cases, suggesting the actual number of violations may be significantly higher.

The rise is attributed to indiscriminate urban warfare, disregard for peace agreements, and worsening humanitarian crises.

The highest number of violations — 8,554 — occurred in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The report also names eight countries where government forces were responsible for grave violations: DRC, Israel, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Russia.

While 16,482 children formerly associated with armed groups received reintegration support in 2024, the scale of ongoing violations remains deeply alarming.

The UN has called on all Member States to uphold international law and expand protection and recovery services for children affected by conflict.

Source: UN