A new international report has revealed a 40 percent surge in civilian deaths resulting from armed conflicts around the world in 2024. Issued today by the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva, the report stated that no fewer than 48,394 people – the majority of them civilians – were killed globally due to conflict during 2024. The report highlighted the devastating impact of armed violence on women and children over the past two years, noting that nearly four times as many women and children were killed in conflicts during 2023 and 2024 compared to the years 2021 and 2022. According to the data, 21,480 women and 16,690 children were killed in conflict zones in 2023 and 2024, with 80 percent of child deaths and 70 percent of women’s deaths recorded in Gaza alone.