Overview
- About one in five children lived in conflict-affected areas last year, a rise of 47 million from the year before, according to the new analysis.
- The United Nations documented 41,763 crimes against children in conflicts, a 30% year-over-year increase and the highest total since records began in 2005, with the figures described as only the tip of the iceberg.
- More than half of the recorded violations occurred in the occupied Palestinian territories, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Somalia, while Africa had the largest number of affected children at about 218 million.
- Documented abuses included killing and maiming, recruitment and use by armed forces or groups, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, abduction and denial of humanitarian access.
- Save the Children highlights accountability gaps, noting 33 UN member states have not adopted at least half of key protection instruments and at least nine states continue supplying weapons to parties listed for crimes against children.