Profile: Children and Armed Conflict

Almost all conflicts are now fought by armed groups within national boundaries and almost 90 percent of the causalities are civilians, mainly women and children. In the last decade an estimatedtwenty million children worldwide have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict and more thantwo million children have died as a direct result of armed conflict. At leastsix million children have been permanently disabled or seriously injured. Between 8,000 and 10,000 children are killed or maimed by landmines every year. The recruitment of children into armies and militias has become a new phenomenon. There are reportedly 300,000 child soldiers in more thanthirty countries around the world.

Security Council Report has produced an in-depth Profile report on the issue of children and armed conflict covering the history and evolution of the Council's involvement over the years.