On 17 June 2026, the UN Secretary-General published its annual report on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC)1, covering the period from January to December 2025. The report documents the highest number of children affected by grave violations since the establishment of the CAAC monitoring and reporting 30 years ago. In 2025, the United Nations verified 38,558 grave violations against children, affecting 24,174 children worldwide. These violations included the killing and maiming of children, recruitment and use of children in armed forces and groups, abductions, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access. Many children experienced multiple forms of violence and abuse, further compounding the devastating consequences of armed conflict on their physical and psychological well-being.
A particularly alarming finding of this year’s report is that, for the first time since the establishment of the CAAC mandate, government forces were identified as the primary perpetrators of grave violations against children. Government forces were responsible for the majority of verified grave violations and were the leading perpetrators of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access. This represents a deeply concerning shift and reflects a growing disregard for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and the special protections afforded to children in situations of armed conflict.
The report further highlights the increasingly complex and devastating nature of contemporary conflicts, with hostilities frequently taking place in densely populated areas and exposing children to unprecedented risks. The widespread use of explosive weapons in civilian areas, the destruction of essential infrastructure, and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance continue to have severe and long-lasting consequences for children, their families, and their communities.
The consequences of armed conflict extend far beyond immediate physical harm. War and violence profoundly affect children’s mental health, emotional development, sense of security, and ability to build healthy relationships and futures. The psychological impact of conflict does not only affect children and adolescents living directly in war-affected regions; it also reaches children and young people globally, who are exposed to images, narratives, and fears associated with violence and instability.
The war in Ukraine, which prompted the ad hoc ESCAP statements in 2022 “War hits children first”2 and “The impact of war”3, has now entered its fifth year. Attacks on the civilian population have continued to increase, with children being affected to an ever-greater extent. The demand for child and adolescent psychiatric and psychotherapeutic training among colleagues in Ukraine who care for children, adolescents, and their families continues to be substantial.4
Following the brutal Hamas attack on civilians in Israel on 7 October 20235, in which children were among the defenceless victims of the violence, the ensuing war in Gaza6 has brought immeasurable suffering to the civilian population, particularly to children in the Gaza Strip. Access to medical care remains severely compromised, and the humanitarian situation, including food security, continues to be catastrophic.
This year, the outbreak of armed conflict involving Iran has added yet another devastating dimension to the violence in the Middle East. On the first day of the conflict, a girls' school in Iran was struck in an aerial attack, resulting in 168 fatalities, the majority of them children, tragically reinforcing the message behind our "War hits children first" statement.
As the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry we are concerned about how close the war is once again in Europe and how it affects us here. We must not close our eyes to the global dimension of the suffering though.
Children in many other conflict-affected regions, including several African countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan, are also experiencing grave violations that must not be overlooked. ESCAP is opposed to any kind of war and calls for an end to armed conflicts as the only fair and effective preventive measure for protecting children's mental health.
We also wish to emphasize the importance of international law, a rules-based international order, and the International Criminal Court. For ESCAP, it is essential that the principles and institutions established in the aftermath of the two devastating World Wars which are aimed at preventing war and enabling the prosecution of the gravest crimes against humanity, be respected, upheld, and supported.
The Board of the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is deeply concerned by the suffering endured by these children and their families, and by the increasing fear of war and anxiety about the future among children and adolescents throughout Europe. The theme of our 2027 congress in Athens is “Child and Adolescent Mental Health in a Polarised World”. Armed conflicts are contributing to the growing polarisation within Europe. While defence expenditure has increased, investments in education and child health risk are receiving less attention in many places.
In light of the alarming findings of the latest UN report, we reiterate our call for sustained political attention to child and adolescent mental health. Protecting children in armed conflict requires not only preventing violence and ensuring accountability for grave violations but also recognising and addressing the long-term psychological consequences of war. Investment in mental health support, trauma-informed care, and resilient communities must be an integral part of our collective response to the growing challenges faced by children and adolescents worldwide.
The ESCAP Board: Jörg Fegert (ESCAP President), Dimitris Anagnostopoulos, Andrea Danese, Maja Drobnič Radobuljac, Manon Hillegers, Pieter Hoekstra, Enikő Kiss, Paul Klauser, Konstantinos Kotsis, Anne-Marie Råberg Christensen, Carmen Schröder
14 September 2026
References:
