The UN Secretary-General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), published on June 17, shows that the exposure of civilians and minors reached unprecedented levels in 2025:
- 38,558 grave violations of international law were recorded in 2025, the highest total in the 30-year history of the CAAC mandate;
- 24,174 minors were victims of killings, mutilations, rape or recruitment by armed forces;
- 6,266 children were killed, representing a dramatic 34% increase compared with 2024;
- 7,958 children were maimed, up 10% from 2024.
Cross-checking with UNHCR data on migration movements
Violence is causing forced displacement on an unprecedented scale, as documented in UNHCR’s Global Trends report, published on June 11:
- 1.4% of the world’s population is now forcibly displaced. This represents one person in 70 worldwide, compared with one in 125 ten years ago;
- 39% of the world’s refugees are children;
- 65% of refugees flee to countries neighboring the conflict zone;
- 68% of refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries;
- 9.1 million internally displaced people are recorded in Sudan.
The Global Peace Index (GPI) analysis
According to the 2026 edition of the GPI, published on June 9:
- 103 countries are involved in external conflicts, nearly twice as many as in 2008 (59 countries).
- $21.81 trillion: this is the global economic cost of violence. It is equivalent to about 10% of global GDP, or roughly $2,600 per person on Earth.
- 99 countries saw their peace index deteriorate this year, illustrating the spread of instability.
- Deaths resulting from global conflicts exceeded 181,000 deaths in 2025, or six times more than in 2008.
Sources:
– Record violence against children | UN News
– Number of Children in Conflict Victims | UN
– Children Armed Conflict Report | UNifeed
– Global Trends | UNHCR
– Record Conflicts Drive Peace to Historic Low | IEP
– UN Report on Children and Armed Conflict.pdf
– Global Trends 2025 Report | UNHCR
