Children in Conflict

today, approximately 450 million children are living within in a conflict zone.

Children are more at risk of harm today than at any other time in the last 20 years.
Funding child protection

Funding child protection

Children have a fundamental right to be protected, wherever they live. Children affected by conflict are among the most vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect and most in need of protection, yet there is limited commitment to prioritise children's protection. The data below reveals a crisis in funding for child protection.

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20192022
The Six Grave Violations

The Six Grave Violations

The UN Security Council set out in 1999 the following six grave violations against children in conflict; killing & miming of children; recruitment and use of children by armed forces or groups; abductions of children; attacks on schools or hospitals; denial of humanitarian aid; rape and other sexual violence against children.

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20062021
Children in conflict zones

Children in conflict zones

In 2021, approximately 1.6 billion children – more than two-thirds of children globally – were living in a conflict affected country, meaning in a country where conflict incidents have occurred. Out of these children, as many as 230 million lived in high-intensity conflict, which means they lived in conflict affected countries with more than 1,000 battle related deaths over the year.

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19902021
Children at risk of recruitment in conflict

Children at risk of recruitment in conflict

In collaboration with the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) we have calculated how many children live 50km or closer to armed conflicts where at least one conflict actor has been reported to perpetrate recruitment against children in a given year. The data below show an estimated 337 million children live at risk of recruitment in all armed conflicts in the world.

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19902020
Children at risk of sexual violence

Children at risk of sexual violence

In collaboration with the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) we have calculated how many children live 50km or closer to armed conflicts where at least one conflict actor have perpetrated sexual violence against children in a given year. Our analysis shows that the number of children at risk of sexual violence committed by conflict actors is almost ten times higher today than in 1990.

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19902019
The ten worst conflict-affected countries to be a child

The ten worst conflict-affected countries to be a child

Using research from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and Save the Children's own analysis of the UN’s data on grave violations in 2018, we have identified the ten worst conflict-affected countries for children. The assessment is based on: prevalence of the six grave violations against children in conflict; conflict intensity measured by the number of recorded casualties; total child population living in conflict zones; share of children living in conflict zones.

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1Yemen
2Afghanistan
3Democratic Republic of Congo
4Somalia
5Syria
6Mali
7Central African Republic
8Nigeria
9Burkina Faso
10Myanmar