Record Child Casualties & Aid Denial in 2025 - UNICEF Briefing | United Nations

Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, also briefed the Council members. She highlighted three more alarming trends in the report. “First, children continue to be killed and maimed at staggering levels by explosive weapons in populated areas. In 2025, almost 70 per cent of child casualties were caused by explosive weapons. The highest numbers were verified in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Israel and the State of Palestine, and Lebanon,” she said. The second trend she underscored is the growing number of children subjected to multiple grave violations. She said, “In 2025, this number increased again, to more than 3,100 children. This means that a child has had several terrible things happen to them. They are abducted or recruited, and in many cases, also subjected to rape or other forms of sexual violence.” Moreover, the third major source of concern that Russell pointed out was the alarming rise in the denial of humanitarian access. “In 2025, the United Nations verified more than 8,000 incidents involving restrictions on humanitarian operations, attacks on humanitarian personnel and assets, and interference with the delivery of assistance. The highest numbers were verified in Israel and the State of Palestine, Libya, and Ukraine,” she stated.


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