Attacks on schools in conflict zones around the world have increased by a “staggering 44 per cent” over the past year according to the United Nations, resulting in the death, abduction and trauma of thousands of teachers and students. Over 41,000 incidents of violence against school-age children were reported by the UN in 2024. Countries with the highest levels of violations in were Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, notably the Gaza Strip, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti. In a message to mark the International Day to Protect Education, commemorated annually on 9 September, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said that “each violation carries profound consequences, not only for teachers and young learners, but for the future of entire communities and countries,” adding that “no child should risk death to learn.”. The UN chief’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict for 2024 highlights not only an upsurge in attacks on schools but also a 34 per cent increase in rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated against children. In addition, the number of children victims of what the UN calls grave violations increased by 17 per cent as a result of abduction, recruitment, and other types of violence, characterised by the UN as “an alarming escalation in brutality.”
Attacks on schools surge by ‘staggering’ 44 per cent over the past year | UN News
