Fri Jun 20 00:47:32 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
A United Nations report reveals a staggering 25% surge in grave violations against children in armed conflicts during 2024. The report, detailing atrocities committed against children under 18, highlights the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti. The UN chief is alarmed by the intensity of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, and by the sharp increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine. Israeli forces, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are blacklisted by the UN. The report also notes a surge in gang recruitment, sexual violence, abduction, and denial of humanitarian aid, with gangs in Haiti being newly blacklisted.
**News Article:**
**UN Report: Grave Violations Against Children in Conflict Zones Surge to “Unprecedented Levels”**
**United Nations, June 20, 2025:** A harrowing United Nations report released late Thursday reveals a shocking surge in grave violations against children caught in armed conflicts worldwide. The report, covering incidents in 2024, details a 25% increase in atrocities committed against children under the age of 18 compared to the previous year.
“Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks,” stated Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, citing a disregard for ceasefires, the use of destructive weapons in populated areas, and the systematic exploitation of children for combat.
The report highlights the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti as areas with the highest number of verified violations. These include killing, maiming, recruitment, abduction, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian aid.
Israeli forces remain on the UN’s blacklist for a second year due to the high number of verified grave violations against Palestinian children in Gaza. While the UN acknowledges the much higher figures reported by the Gaza Health Ministry, it maintains strict verification criteria. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also remain on the blacklist.
The report further reveals alarming trends in other conflict zones. In Ukraine, the UN expresses deep concern over the sharp increase in grave violations against children attributed to Russian forces and affiliated armed groups. In Haiti, gangs, particularly the Viv Ansanm coalition, are now blacklisted due to a surge in gang recruitment, sexual violence, and abduction. Sexual violence against children jumped by 35 per cent in 2024.
The UN has called on all parties to abide by international law and ensure the protection of children in armed conflicts. The organization is urging increased efforts to prevent violations and hold perpetrators accountable. The alarming findings of this report underscore the urgent need for international action to safeguard the lives and well-being of children trapped in war zones.
First Piper 