A new United Nations report says nearly 25,000 children caught in armed conflict were victims of a record number of serious rights violations last year. The violations reported include killings, rape and other sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, abductions, and recruitment or use of children to fight. The UN report, released by Secretary-General António Guterres, also describes a “blacklist” of parties responsible for violations against children.
For the first time, the report finds that government forces—not armed groups—are the main perpetrators. It lists alleged perpetrators among government forces from eight nations alongside 67 armed groups from 16 countries and territories. Across the findings, the UN frames the increase as part of a broader pattern of harm to children in conflict settings, highlighting that multiple types of abuses continue to be documented. The report is presented as an annual assessment of children and conflict violations and focuses on identifying responsible parties, the nature of violations, and trends over time.
