UN calls 2024 'one of the worst years for children'

According to a UNICEF (UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund) review, the impact of armed conflict on children around the world has reached record devastating levels in 2024. The organization's report was published on Saturday, December 28.

Experts estimate that more children than ever are living in conflict zones and forcibly displaced due to the zone of escalation and violence.

"By almost every indicator, 2024 was one of the worst years for children in UNICEF's history - both in terms of the number of children affected and the impact on their lives," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

The situation for women and girls is particularly alarming because of widespread reports of rape and sexual violence, the organization added. In Haiti alone, reported cases of sexual violence against women have increased by 1,000% this year.

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Before that, on December 22, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked the building of a former school, which, according to the military, hosted militants of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. At the same time, Reuters, citing medics in the Gaza Strip, reported that there were displaced families in the building. At least 24 Palestinians, including children, were killed, they said.

Al Jazeera TV channel reported on December 17 that since the beginning of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the death toll has reached 45,028 Palestinians, with 106,962 people wounded.

The situation in the Middle East escalated in the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian radical movement Hamas subjected the territory of Israel to a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.