As A Result Of The Armed Conflict, UNICEF Calls 2024 The Worst For Children

The UN Agency's Commissioner General for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned children in Gaza had died from cold weather and a lack of adequate housing. (ANTARA/Anadolu)

JAKARTA - The impact of armed conflict against children around the world is expected to reach a very destructive level and may set a record in 2024, according to a recent report from UNICEF based on the latest data and global trends.

"When viewed from almost all indicators, 2024 is likely to be one of the worst years in history for children trapped in conflict, both in terms of the number affected and its impact on their lives," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, as quoted by ANTARA.

"Children growing up in conflict-torn areas have a greater possibility of dropping out of school, experiencing malnutrition, or being forced to flee their homes, often repeatedly, compared to children living in peaceful areas. This should not be a normal condition. We must not allow the generation of children to become invisible victims of uncontrollable wars around the world. "

Currently, more than 473 million children or more than one in six children in the world live in areas affected by conflict. The world is facing the highest number of conflicts since World War II.

The percentage of children living in conflict areas has doubled from about 10 percent in the 1990s to almost 19 percent today.

The latest data from 2023 reveals that the United Nations has verified 32,990 gross rights violations against 22,557 children, the highest number since the start of monitoring required by the Security Council.

With this trend of increasing gross abuses, for example, thousands of children died and were injured in Gaza, as well as in Ukraine, where the United Nations recorded more child casualties in the first nine months of 2024 than during 2023 this year is expected to show a further spike.