UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has announced that in 2024, attacks on educational centers worldwide increased by 44%.
Coinciding with the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, the organization issued a statement warning of the sharp rise in assaults on educational institutions in 2024, saying that 85 million children around the world living in crisis situations are not attending schools or educational centers.
The statement added that in conflict-affected areas, attacks on schools and educational facilities have reached alarming levels, putting the future of hundreds of thousands of children and adolescents at serious risk.
UNESCO stressed that in 2024 alone, 41,370 grave violations against children in armed conflicts were recorded worldwide — the highest level in the past 30 years.
The organization further stated: “Schools and educational facilities, which under international humanitarian law must be protected under all circumstances, are now on the frontline. In 2024 alone, 1,265 schools were attacked, marking a 44% increase compared to 2023.”
UNESCO also noted in its statement that the military use of schools — in violation of international humanitarian law — is becoming increasingly common in countries such as Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar, Haiti, and Afghanistan.
In 31 crisis-affected countries, UNESCO has mobilized its local partners to provide practical educational solutions as well as material and psychosocial support for tens of thousands of students and teachers, particularly in Afghanistan, Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine.
The organization has also called on all parties to conflicts to fully comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2601 (adopted in 2021) and the Safe Schools Declaration.
