UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told the UN Security Council in New York on Monday that the United Nations has verified more than 430,000 grave violations against children in armed conflict since 2005, with more than 38,000 verified in 2025 alone. The highest numbers last year were verified in the State of Palestine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, she said, adding that the verified figures are only those the UN was able to confirm and the true scale is undoubtedly greater. The meeting, convened by Greece, marked 30 years since Graça Machel's landmark report created the Children and Armed Conflict agenda.

Source: UNICEF press release, Oct 26 2026 (Russell statement)

In 2025, government forces were responsible for the majority of verified grave violations against children, including killing and maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access, Russell said. More than 70 per cent of verified child casualties in 2025 were caused by explosive weapons used in populated areas, which also destroy schools, hospitals, water systems and other infrastructure essential to children's survival, she said.

Source: UNICEF press release, Oct 26 2026 (Russell statement)

The UN has verified more than 44,000 incidents of denial of humanitarian access since 2005, including more than 8,000 in 2025 alone, Russell said. Such denials mean children going without lifesaving healthcare, safe water and education, and humanitarian workers and facilities are also coming under attack, she said.

Source: UNICEF press release, Oct 26 2026 (Russell statement)

Emerging technologies are creating new threats, Russell warned: the growing use of artificial intelligence in weaponry, including for targeting, armed drones in conflict zones, and digital technologies creating new avenues for recruitment, exploitation and abuse. She welcomed the Security Council's recent adoption of Resolution 2832, addressing the impact of digital technologies on violations against children in armed conflict. The United Kingdom's Permanent Representative, Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh, told the meeting that almost 80 per cent of reported child casualties in Sudan during the first four months of 2026 were attributed to drone attacks, and that approximately 700,000 students in Gaza had been deprived of proper education because schools were damaged or destroyed, The Vaultz News reported.

Source: The Vaultz News, Oct 26 2026

Russell noted that the agenda has also delivered results: more than 40 action plans have been signed with parties to conflict, and more than 220,000 children have been released from armed forces and armed groups. She made three calls to action — that all parties cease and prevent grave violations and respect international law; that the protection framework and its monitoring mechanisms be protected and strengthened; and that efforts be redoubled to prevent and resolve the wars devastating children's lives. Funding for humanitarian assistance and child protection remains minuscule compared with global military spending, she said, noting that more than one-third of UNICEF-supported safe spaces for women and children in South Sudan closed in a year because of funding cuts.

Source: UNICEF press release, Oct 26 2026 (Russell statement)