Children and Armed Conflict

Nearly two-thirds of children surveyed across four districts in southern Yemen are out of school following more than a decade of conflict and displacement, Save the Children said as the new school year begins.

July saw the highest number of child casualties in Ukraine in more than four years with the number of children killed or injured totalling 183, Save the Children said.

More children in Yemen have been killed by landmines and other unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in the first six months of this year than all of 2025, according to new Save the Children analysis

Child casualties in Ukraine are surging once again, Save the Children said, with new analysis from the child rights organisation finding that the number of child casualties in June was the highest since the third month of full-scale war breaking out over four years ago

Four Palestinian children have reportedly been killed and several injured by Israeli forces over the past six days, including a 10 year old in a tent in Gaza today, said Save the Children. The child rights organisation called once again for urgent international intervention.

After 1,000 days of war, children in Gaza said they had lost homes, schools and a sense of safety but not their hopes for the future with even the ongoing violence failing to stop them from dreaming of peace and careers to help them rebuild their communities.

Israeli forces have reportedly killed seven Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank in the week since a UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces have been deliberately targeting Palestinian children.

Children are calling on world leaders to ensure they are at the centre of Ukraine’s reconstruction as governments and donors meet in Poland this week to mobilise investment for Ukraine after four years of full-scale war, said Save the Children.

At least five children have been killed and seven more children injured by an unexploded ordnance (UXO) that detonated next to them in southern Yemen in the deadliest incident for children so far this year, Save the Children said

Israeli authorities announced earlier today that they are closing border crossings into the Gaza Strip, including Kerem Shalom and Rafah, until further notice.

Children in Gaza are being killed by collapsing buildings and freezing cold temperatures as tents that are the sole shelter for families are blown away in strong winds, Save the Children said

The number of child casualties in Yemen jumped 70% in 2025, with an average of one child killed or injured every day

For brothers Osama*, 6, and Yousef*, 10, the day returning home after the end of 14 years of conflict in Syria should have been one of celebration - but instead it was one of tragedy

Israel’s aid restrictions mean that severe winter weather is cutting children in Gaza off from much-needed child protection and psychosocial support services, Save the Children said, as storms began again today

Syrians returning home full of hope in the year since the conflict ended said they are struggling to rebuild their lives amid destroyed infrastructure, limited access to schools and healthcare, and a collapsing economy, Save the Children said.

Israeli military operations have forced entire communities in areas of the northern West Bank into lockdown in their homes, keeping children out of school, jeopardising family incomes and increasing risk of physical violence and child detention from the Israeli military, Save the Children said.

Record numbers of attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine in the past two months have forced school closures and also disrupted the remote learning that children have relied upon for nearly four years of war, said Save the Children

One month after an agreed pause in hostilities in Gaza, children and families’ lives remain in limbo, with people unable to start repairs to homes without equipment and many scared to move due to unexploded ordinance or the fear of further airstrikes, Save the Children said.

From destroyed homes and playgrounds to dreams of becoming doctors, writers, and fashion designers, children in Gaza have expressed how two years of war have reshaped their lives and risk shattering their dreams in a series of drawings released today by Save the Children

Reports of an impending pause in hostilities in Gaza signals a hopeful reprieve on the horizon for families and children, but must be a turning point to secure a definitive ceasefire, said Save the Children.