The War On Children

Children living through conflict face increasing levels of danger, trauma, and long-term harm. Our 2025 research shows that blast injuries among children have risen sharply in the world’s most dangerous conflict zones, leaving many with life-changing wounds and limited access to specialised care. Beyond physical injuries, conflict also disrupts children’s education, emotional wellbeing, and sense of safety.

To understand these challenges in more detail, explore our latest blogs:

• How war affects children – a simple breakdown of the physical and emotional impact of conflict on children.
• What children in conflict need – the essentials every child should have in war zones.
• How Save the Children is helping in Gaza right now – what is happening and what we are doing.
• Chouchou’s story from the DRC – how one child is healing after a devastating blast injury.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 420 million children were living in conflict zones. But it's not hopeless - together, we can protect them and give them a better future.

February 2018;

One in six children across the world are living in areas impacted by conflict, and children are more at risk in conflict now than at any time in the last 20 years. 

From Syria to South Sudan, Yemen to DRC, children are caught up in violence, which is not of their making. Children are being killed and maimed, raped and recruited, and being denied aid and medical care. Warring parties are bombing schools and hospitals on a scale not seen for decades.

The War on Children: Time to End Violations Against Children in Armed Conflict looks at how conflict has impacted children, and sheds light on a worrying trend of increased brutality against children in conflict, particularly in the last few years.

The findings of this report are stark, and the message is clear – we need to take concerted, collective action to turn back the tide of brutality and indifference and better protect children in conflict.