One fifth of the world’s children now live in areas impacted by conflict, according to figures published by the UN. For me, this figure sunk far deeper than it would have otherwise, because this year I became a father.
The closing hours of any year are time for governments to reflect on the progress made to improve people’s lives, or to lift them from poverty and violence. We like to tell ourselves this is always underway, and that positive steps are inevitably being taken to this effect. But it’s far from the case – 473 million children are today suffering from the worst levels of violence since the second world war, finds the UN. In fact, the percentage of children living in conflict zones has nearly doubled since the 1990s, from 10% to 19%.
Of the 45,000+ killed in Gaza this year, a staggering 44% have been children. A War Child study reported that 96% of children in Gaza feel their death is imminent and “almost half want to die as a result of the trauma.”
Both in terms of the number affected and the impact on their lives, 2024 has been one of the worst years on record for children living in conflict zones. Here is the new normal. Evidently, diplomacy, sanctions, and geopolitics have failed children. Disarmament and de-escalation require courage and compromise. Here’s to greater peace, and greater progress, in 2025.
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