Children are among the first victims of armed conflict in Africa. In several regions of the continent, wars, armed attacks and insecurity have profoundly disrupted their daily lives. According to UNICEF, in 2024, more than 473 million children worldwide live in conflict- affected areas, a significant proportion of them in Africa, where violence, displacement and instability are particularly high. While they should be growing up in a safe environment, attending school and accessing healthcare, many find themselves facing violence, fear and instability.
In countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Somalia, children’s human rights are under serious threat. Schools are closed or destroyed, families are displaced and access to water, food and health care becomes limited. A United Nations report on children and armed conflict shows that more than 43,700 serious violations of children’s rights were recorded in 2024, including killings, mutilations, recruitment of child soldiers, sexual violence and attacks on school and medical infrastructure.
According to UNICEF, the fundamental rights most affected
- Education: Thousands of schools have been closed because of attacks or threats. Millions of children are deprived of education, reducing their chances of a stable and
- Health and survival: In war zones, health centres lack staff, medicines and medical equipment, putting sick or injured children at risk.
- Forced displacement and instability: an estimated 47 million children were displaced by violence or conflict in 2023, living in refugee or internally displaced persons camps where conditions are precarious: lack of food, hygiene and access to protection.
These realities show that war destroys much more than buildings: it destroys childhood. The rights to education, health, protection and a stable environment that are essential for every child are systematically violated.
The European Union’s commitment
In the face of this humanitarian crisis, the European Union (EU) has publicly committed to protecting children affected by conflict. As part of its external and humanitarian policies, the EU affirms that « there is no place for children in war » and strongly condemns the recruitment of child soldiers, sexual violence, attacks on schools and all serious violations of children’s rights.
The EU has put in place concrete programmes to protect children in conflict zones: funding humanitarian aid, support for the reopening of schools, access to healthcare, assistance to displaced or refugee children, and promotion of justice adapted to vulnerable children. In addition, the official EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict (2024) provides a policy and operational framework for Member States and European institutions, defining how to intervene, protect and prevent the recruitment of child soldiers, and support their reintegration.
The EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2021) complements this commitment by stating that the protection of children’s rights must be guaranteed everywhere, including in third countries, and that it is the EU’s duty to mobilise its resources to improve the lives of vulnerable children and protect their fundamental rights.
The war in Africa destroys childhoods. Every number and every child counts. The massive violations of children’s rights show that there is an urgent need to protect and care for children, as well as guaranteeing access to education and ensuring security. The European Union, through its programmes, guidelines and institutional strategy, plays a key role in mobilising the international community and improving the lives of vulnerable children. But as long as conflicts persist, children’s rights will continue to be threatened. The future of millions of African children depends on the ability of states and international partners, including the EU, to guarantee their protection, safety and their right to a dignified childhood.