Almost 450 million children live in conflict zones - Save the Children

More than 449 million children lived in conflict zones in 2021, according to a report by Save the Children.

In 1982, the UN declared June 4 the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, dedicated to the Palestinian and Lebanese children affected by Israeli attacks, Daily Sabah reports. 

Nearly 24,000 severe violations against children were reported in armed conflicts in 2021, according to the UN report.

The most common crimes against children included murder, mutilation, recruitment for war, and denying access to humanitarian aid.

A total of 2,515 children were killed, while 5,555 children were disabled in the same period, according to the report.

In 2021, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel, Palestine, Somalia, Syria and Yemen were among the countries with the most crimes against children.

While child abduction crimes rose 20 per cent, sexual abuse cases climbed over 20 per cent from the previous year.

In 2018, 415 million children lived in conflict zones, more than double the figure recorded in 1995.