UN report shows 2023 was worst year for children in armed conflict

The United Nations says 2023 marked the highest number of violations against children in nearly a decade.

Virginia Gamba, the U.N.'s special representative for children told the Security Council that the U.N. has verified 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children in 2023.

Gamba said the violations included the killing and maiming of children, followed by recruitment and use, denial of humanitarian access and abduction.

The U.N. report shows that 5,301 children were killed and another 6,348 injured, marking a rise of 35 per cent over previous years.

The report also shows that the recruitment and use of children also surged during 2023 with 8,655 cases verified, of which some 15 percent were girls, who also bore the brunt of multiple violations while recruited or used.

Child abductions also continued at high levels, with 4,356 child victims verified in 2023, the report says.

“Let me remind all warring parties, when they resort to armed force, in contradiction with the Charter of the United Nations, they cannot do so at the cost of the lives and wellbeing of children," Gamba said.

"Let me be clear: there is no excuse for harming children during armed conflict.”