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New York, 12 June 2025 - With a view to support the monitoring and reporting on the denial of humanitarian access against children, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and UNICEF publish today* a guidance note offering new tools to practitioners to better address this violation of children's rights in conflict situations. The Denial of Humanitarian Access (DHA) is one of six grave violations against children monitored by the United Nations in the framework of its Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) agenda.
The publication of the Guidance Note on the Denial of Humanitarian Access to Children comes timely as a steady increase in verified cases of denial of humanitarian access has been observed as part of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) in recent years, and with it, increased concerns for the life and wellbeing of children affected by it.
"With a 32% increase in verified incidents of denial of humanitarian access to children in 2023, and an even more marked increase in 2024, there is an urgent need to ensure that strong tools are available for practitioners so as to strengthen our mechanism to end and prevent this grave violation against children,“ said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virgnia Gamba.
Between 2005 and 2024, more than 30,000 DHA incidents have been verified. This is without including the ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid in Gaza affecting millions of people, including children. Countries with the highest number of verified incidents of DHA in 2023 were the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Yemen, and Mali.
The Guidance note is launched along with its companion piece, a background note on DHA which delves deeper into the legal and normative framework, and outlines key access stakeholders and engagement, dialogue and advocacy being undertaken, including to prioritize humanitarian access to children.
The denial of humanitarian access, as defined within the CAAC agenda, is informed by a comprehensive body of international legal norms and standards designed to protect the rights and well-being of children in times of conflict, including international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly articles 6 and 27.
“Humanitarian access for children affected by armed conflict saves lives. Denying children such life-saving assistance not only impairs the relief of their immediate needs but can also compromise their long-term growth and development,” stressed the Special Representative.
The Guidance Note also emphasizes how DHA can exacerbate other grave violations of children. For example, DHA can aggravate the killing and maiming of children as essential medical supplies and services, which could prevent deaths or minimize injuries, may be unavailable. Similarly, the deprivation of a child’s basic needs due to DHA may become one of the drivers for a child to join armed groups or armed forces in the hope of getting their survival needs met.
The Guidance Note further stresses complementarity with existing actors and mechanisms working to facilitate humanitarian dialogue for civilian populations on the ground, while focusing on children and the contributions of the CAAC framework. It suggests considerations for integrating gender as a lens on how different children experience DHA as a violation to better address this critical aspect. By providing concrete examples and other tools, the Guidance Note should support monitors when facing gray areas and making decisions to secure the best results for children.
The Guidance Note has been collaboratively created with the support of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
* The Guidance Note is formally released today in an event co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Belgium to the United Nations, and co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Panama to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations.