UNICEF: One in Six Children Live in Conflict-Affected Areas

More than one in six children, or more than 473 million children in total, live in conflict-affected areas. This is what the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) explains, adding that “the impact of armed conflict on children around the world has reached devastating and possibly record levels in 2024.”

It is estimated that never before have so many children lived in conflict zones or been forcibly displaced by conflict and violence. And consequently, there are record numbers of minors who see their rights violated, injured or killed, out of school, missing out on basic immunizations, and malnourished.

A clear worsening of the situation in the past year is related to the crises in Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, Palestine, and Sudan. Children make up 30% of the world’s population and, on average, account for approximately 40% of refugees and 49% of internally displaced persons.

“By almost any measure, 2024 was one of the worst years in UNICEF’s history for children in the conditions of conflict, both in terms of the number of children affected and the impact on their lives,” commented Catherine Russell, UNICEF Director General, adding: “A child growing up in a conflict zone is far more likely to be out of school, malnourished or displaced from their home, all too often repeatedly, than a child living in a peaceful place. This should not be the new norm. We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage from the world’s uncontrolled wars.”