Explosive weapons caused record child casualties in 2024: report
“Save the Children says almost 12,000 children were killed or wounded in war last year, a record high since 2006.”
Key points
- Save the Children says almost 12,000 children were killed or wounded in war last year, a record high since 2006.
- Over 70% of the casualties were linked to explosive weapons as fighting moved into densely populated areas.
Save the Children reports that nearly 12,000 children were killed or injured in conflicts during 2024, the highest tally since records began in 2006, with more than 70% of casualties caused by explosive weapons.
The UK-based charity says intensifying urban warfare—from Gaza and Sudan to Ukraine, Myanmar and Syria—has pushed child casualty numbers sharply higher as missiles, drones and artillery hit homes, schools and hospitals. The group quotes experts who stress that children’s smaller bodies and developing organs leave them particularly vulnerable to blast injuries and long recoveries.
The report calls for stronger protection measures in conflict zones and for combatants to limit the use of explosive weapons in populated areas to prevent further loss of young lives.
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