The United Nations has issued a grave warning over the worsening plight of children in conflict zones, with a particular emphasis on the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

Presenting the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict, UN Special Representative Virginia Gamba urged the international community to break its silence and take immediate action to protect vulnerable children caught in war.

“There is no justification for depriving children of access to the means for their survival, including food, healthcare, and security,” Gamba said during her address to the UN Security Council on Thursday.

Gamba singled out the situation in Gaza as one of the most severe, saying the scale of destruction and suffering “defies and contravenes every human standard.” She stressed that the international community “cannot continue to stand by and watch with no action” as children bear the brunt of escalating violence.

She also called on Israel, as the occupying power, to facilitate “the rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need in the Gaza Strip,” noting that denying access to lifesaving resources places thousands of children at risk of malnutrition, disease, and death.

The annual report, which monitors grave violations against children in conflict, covers 25 country situations. In 2024, the highest levels of violations were recorded in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially Gaza, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti.

The report documents widespread killings, maimings, recruitment of children by armed groups, and attacks on schools and hospitals — violations that have become tragically routine in multiple conflict zones.

Human rights advocates are calling for urgent accountability measures and increased humanitarian access to address what many are calling a generational emergency for children in war-torn regions. (ILKHA)