Urgent task to protect children in conflicts

By almost every measure, 2024 was one of the worst years on record for children living in conflict zones in UNICEF's history. More than one in every six children globally now live in areas affected by conflict, and are forced to face unthinkable violations.

Unfortunately, 2025 does not look much better for children.

Children do not start wars but they pay the highest price for them. They are more likely than adults to be killed or maimed by bombs or weapons. They lose the protection and care of family members and friends. They're abducted from their homes, recruited by armed groups and sexually violated. Their schools and hospitals are destroyed, and many are denied life-saving aid, based simply on who they are or where they live.