Doha – In what UNICEF describes as “one of the worst years in its history,” 2024 has seen unprecedented levels of children affected by armed conflicts worldwide, with more than 473 million – one in six globally – now living in conflict zones.

According to UNICEF’s year-end review released yesterday, the number of children living in conflict areas has doubled since the 1990s, rising from 10% to nearly 19% today. The world is currently experiencing its highest number of conflicts since World War II.

“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,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

The latest data reveals that 47.2 million children have been displaced due to conflict and violence by the end of 2023, with 2024 showing further displacement increases due to intensifying conflicts in Haiti, Lebanon, Myanmar, Palestine, and Sudan.

While children represent 30% of the global population, they make up approximately 40% of refugee populations and 49% of internally displaced people.

The severity of violations against children has reached alarming levels. In 2023, the United Nations verified 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children—the highest number since monitoring began.

The trend has continued to worsen in 2024, with increased child casualties reported in various conflict zones, including Gaza and Ukraine, where the UN verified more child casualties in the first nine months of 2024 than during all of 2023.

Education has been severely impacted, with over 52 million children in conflict-affected countries out of school.

Children in Gaza and many in Sudan have missed more than a year of schooling, while in Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Syria, schools have been damaged, destroyed, or repurposed.

The devastating humanitarian crises have been compounded by widespread malnutrition and healthcare disruption.

Approximately 40% of under-vaccinated children live in conflict-affected countries, making them particularly vulnerable to disease outbreaks.

In Sudan, famine conditions were confirmed in North Darfur, marking the first such determination since 2017.

The year has also proven deadly for humanitarian workers, with 281 aid worker deaths recorded globally, setting a new record.

“Children in war zones face a daily struggle for survival that deprives them of a childhood,” Russell remarked. “The world is failing these children. As we look towards 2025, we must do more to turn the tide and save and improve the lives of children.”

‘My eyes went to heaven before I did’

Recent reports from the Gaza genocide are a tragic example of the immediate impact of these conflicts. According to UNICEF Communication Specialist Rosalia Bollen, over 96% of women and children in Gaza cannot meet their basic nutritional needs, with most surviving on rationed flour, lentils, pasta, and canned food.

The humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly, with only 65 truckloads of assistance entering Gaza in November, compared to 500 truckloads daily before the war.

The toll on children has been particularly severe, with more than 14,500 children reportedly killed and thousands more injured over the past 14 months.

“Gaza must be one of the most heartbreaking places on earth for humanitarians. Every small effort to save a child’s life is undone by fierce devastation,” Bollen stated on December 20 during a press briefing in Geneva.

The onset of winter has further complicated the humanitarian catastrophe. Children are facing harsh conditions without adequate clothing or shelter, many still wearing summer clothes and walking barefoot.

The scarcity of cooking gas has forced people to search through rubble for plastic scraps to burn. Healthcare facilities are struggling to function amid a near-total electricity blackout, leaving hospitals dependent on limited fuel imports.

“The suffering is not merely physical. It is also psychological,” Bollen said, sharing the story of five-year-old Saad, who lost his eyesight in a bombing and sustained head injuries and burns.

The child’s haunting words, “my eyes went to heaven before I did,” reflect the deep psychological trauma experienced by Gaza’s children.

The northern part of Gaza has been under near-total siege for 75 days, with humanitarian assistance largely unable to reach children in need for more than 10 weeks.

UNICEF is calling for all parties involved in conflicts to take decisive action to end children’s suffering and adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.