A child injured during the conflict is treated in a hospital in Kunar province, Afghanistan. Photo: THX/VNA
Specifically, the report identified 38,558 violations committed against children in armed conflict, affecting 24,174 children. Murders (6,266 cases) and injuries (7,958 cases) remain the most frequently observed acts of violence. Alarmingly, the number of child deaths increased by 34% in 2025 compared to the previous year. Next come acts of obstructing access to humanitarian aid and the recruitment and use of children in conflicts, with respectively 8,322 incidents and 6,607 children affected.
Furthermore, the kidnappings of’children remain frequent, with 5,129 cases recorded, often with the aim of recruiting and’using children for military operations or facilitating sexual violence. The report also indicates that rape and other forms of sexual violence continue to occur unabated. In particular, the number of proven gang rapes is increasing.
Additionally, landmines and war-era unexploded ordnance continue to pose a serious threat to children and hamper socio-economic development in conflict-affected areas.
In a press release, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the’UN Children and Armed Conflict, stressed that 2025 will undoubtedly be the’one of the darkest times for the protection of the’childhood since the start of monitoring.
She also warned that conflicts between states – entities responsible for protecting children – have worsened harm. This situation testifies to a serious decline in respect for international law. The principles of humanity, non-discrimination, proportionality and necessity must be reestablished and applied without exception.
D’According to the report, 1,667 children will be placed in detention in 2025 for their alleged participation in conflicts or their involvement with stakeholders. Frazier stressed that these children must be considered victims. Detention should only be considered’as a last resort, and efforts to promote their social reintegration should be prioritized.
The report emphasizes that the above figures only include cases verified by the’UN and therefore do not fully reflect the’true scale of harm inflicted on children in armed conflicts around the world.
The year 2026 will mark the 30th anniversary of the creation by the United Nations General Assembly of the Mechanism on Children and Armed Conflict – a key international framework for monitoring harmful acts, strengthening the protection of children and promoting the implementation of humanitarian standards in conflict zones around the world.
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According to VNA
