Explosive weapons caused record child deaths last year: Save the Children – Al Jazeera

Report on Child Casualties in Global Conflicts and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A recent report from Save the Children highlights a record number of child casualties in global conflicts, with nearly 12,000 children killed or maimed in the last year. The findings indicate a severe regression in the global community’s ability to protect children, directly undermining key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The increasing use of explosive weapons in urban areas is the primary driver of this crisis, accounting for 70 percent of child casualties.

Violation of SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The report documents a failure to uphold SDG Target 16.2, which aims to end all forms of violence against children. The deliberate targeting of urban areas where children live, play, and learn represents a collapse of international norms intended to protect civilians.

Key Conflict Zones Undermining Global Peace

1. Palestinian Territories (Gaza and West Bank): The conflict has resulted in the highest number of child casualties.
2. Sudan: An estimated 10 million children live within 5km of active conflict zones.
3. Myanmar: A significant location of child casualties.
4. Ukraine: A marked increase in children injured by explosive weapons.
5. Syria: Continued conflict places children at extreme risk.

The report notes a “moral surrender” by the international community, where actions that were once condemned are now accepted as a cost of war, further eroding the principles of justice and strong institutions central to SDG 16.

Impact on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The use of explosive weapons has catastrophic consequences for children’s physical and mental health, directly contravening the objectives of SDG 3. Children’s developing bodies are disproportionately vulnerable to blast injuries, leading to more severe outcomes than in adults.

Regional Case Studies

• Gaza: The conflict has created what the report calls the “largest cohort of child amputees in modern history.”
  • Over 20,000 children have been killed since October 7, 2023.
  • UNICEF estimates over 64,000 children have been killed or injured.
  • An average of 475 children each month are left with lifelong disabilities, including amputations, severe burns, and hearing loss.
  • The destruction of hospitals and collapse of medical services further compound the health crisis, violating SDG 3.
• Sudan: Child casualties from explosive weapons rose by nearly 40 percent in one year, from over 1,200 in 2023 to 1,739 in 2024.
• Ukraine: The number of children maimed by explosive weapons increased by 70 percent, from 339 in 2023 to 577 in 2024.

Broader Implications for Sustainable Development

The crisis extends beyond immediate casualties, impacting other critical SDGs.

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): The targeting of schools turns learning environments into “death traps,” denying children their right to a safe education.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): As conflicts move into urban areas, the destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals makes communities unsafe and unsustainable.

The report concludes that the long-term impact of explosive remnants of war and the lasting mental health trauma on affected communities will impede development and recovery for generations, making the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development increasingly unattainable in conflict-affected regions.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues of conflict, violence against children, destruction of infrastructure, and the collapse of health services, which directly connect to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary SDGs addressed are:

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This is the most central SDG, as the article’s entire focus is on the impact of armed conflict, violence, and the failure to protect the most vulnerable, particularly children.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article extensively details the killing and injuring of children, the specific types of physical trauma (amputations, burns), long-term disabilities, and the collapse of medical services, all of which are core concerns of SDG 3.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The text explicitly mentions that missiles are falling where children “learn” and that schools are being turned into “death traps,” directly threatening children’s right to a safe learning environment.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The report notes that “wars increasingly move into urban areas,” leading to the destruction of homes, hospitals, and schools. This undermines the goal of making cities and human settlements safe and resilient.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific issues discussed, the following targets can be identified:

1. Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
   • Target 16.1: “Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.” The article’s focus on the record-high number of children killed or injured directly relates to this target.
   • Target 16.2: “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” The killing and maiming of children in conflict zones is an extreme form of violence against them, making this target highly relevant.
2. Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
   • Target 3.2: “By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age…” While not limited to children under 5, the article’s data on thousands of child deaths from violence directly contradicts the aim of preventing child mortality.
   • Target 3.8: “Achieve universal health coverage, including… access to quality essential health-care services…” The article mentions that in Gaza, “essential medical services have collapsed,” directly showing a failure to meet this target for children in conflict.
3. Under SDG 4 (Quality Education):
   • Target 4.a: “Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.” The article states that schools are being turned into “death traps” by bombs and drones, which is the antithesis of a safe learning environment.
4. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):
   • Target 11.5: “By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… by disasters… with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.” Armed conflict in urban areas acts as a man-made disaster, and the article details its lethal impact on vulnerable populations, specifically children.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure the lack of progress towards these targets:

• For Targets 16.1 and 16.2:
  • Number of children killed or injured in conflict: The article provides specific figures, such as “Nearly 12,000 children were killed or injured in conflicts worldwide last year,” “20,000 children have been killed in… Gaza,” and “over 1,200 children were killed or injured in 2023, rising to 1,739 in 2024” in Sudan. These numbers are direct measures of violence.
  • Percentage increase in child casualties: The report states the 2024 total was “up by 42 percent on the 2020 total,” indicating a worsening trend.
• For Targets 3.2 and 3.8:
  • Number of child amputees: The description of Gaza having the “‘largest cohort of child amputees in modern history'” is a powerful qualitative indicator of the severity of injuries and the long-term health burden.
  • Rate of disabling injuries: The report states that in Gaza, “an average of 475 children each month” were left with “lifelong disabilities.”
  • Status of health infrastructure: The statement that “essential medical services have collapsed” is a clear indicator of the failure to provide access to healthcare.
• For Target 4.a:
  • Attacks on educational facilities: The article implies this indicator by stating that “bombs and drones strike hospitals, schools and residential areas” and that schools are turned into “death traps.” The frequency of such attacks would be a direct measure of the safety of learning environments.
• For Target 11.5:
  • Destruction of residential infrastructure: The mention of the destruction of “homes” and “residential areas” serves as an indicator of the impact of urban warfare on safe housing and community resilience.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: aljazeera.com